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1 

THE  LIVING  CORPSE 


THE  LIVING  CORPSE 

A  DRAMA 

In  Six  Acts  and  Twelve  Tableaux 


BY 

LEO  N.  TOLSTOI 

Translated  from  the  Russian 

by 

Mrs.  E.  M.  Evarts 


PHILADELPHIA 

BROWN    BROTHERS 

MCMXII 


Copyright,  1911 

BY 

Brown  Brothers 


Stage  Rights  on  this  version  are  reserved  by  the 
publishers  and  Mrs.  £.  M.  Evarts 


PRINTED    DECEMBER.   I»1l 


f6- 


TRANSLATOR'S  NOTE 

The  drama,  "The  Living  Corpse"  (Zhivoi  Trup),  was  written 
in  the  year  1900,  at  Moscow,  at  Pirogov  (the  estate  of  Sergey 
Nikolaevich,  Tolstoi's  brother)  and  at  Yasnaya  Polyana  (Tol- 
stoi's  own   estate). 

The  following  translation  is  made  from  the  only  authorized 
Russian  edition  based  on  the  manuscripts  in  the  possession  of 
the  late  Count  Tolstoi's  daughter,  A.  L.  Tolstaya. 


Washington,  D.  C,  191  i. 


CHARACTERS 


Feodor   Vasilyevich    Protasov    (Fedya). 

Elizaveta  Andreevna   Protasova,  his  wife   (Lisa), 

MiSHA,  their  son. 

Anna  Pavlovna,  Liza's  mother. 

Victor  Michailovich  Karenin. 

Sasha,  a  young  girl,  Liza's  sister. 

Anna  Dmitrievna  Karenina. 

Prince    Sergey  Dmitrievich  Abrezkov. 

Masha,  a  young  gipsy-girl. 

Ivan  Makarovich,  an  old  gipsy.  Jmasha's  parents. 

Nastasya   Ivanovna,  an   old  gipsy-woman.  ) 

An   Officer. 

A  Composer. 

First  Gipsy. 

Second  Gipsy. 

A  Gipsy-girl. 

Gipsies — men  and  women.     (The  chorus.} 

A  Doctor. 

MiCHAiL  Aleksandrovich  Afremov. 

Stachov. 

Butkevich.     j-  Fedya's  friends. 

Korotkov. 


Ivan  Petrovich  Aleksandrov. 

VozNESENSKY,  Karenin's  Secretary. 

Petushkov,  an  artist. 

Artemyev. 

Two  Waiters. 

An  Innkeeper. 

A  Policeman. 

The  Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Meljnikov. 

A  Clerk. 

A  Young  Lawyer. 

The  Sergeant-at-arms. 

Petrushin,  a  lawyer. 

A  Lady. 

An  Officer. 

A  Court  Attendant. 

The  Nurse  at  P:iotasov's. 

Maid. 

Afremov's  Lackey. 

Lackey  at  the  Karenin's. 


ACT  I 


The    Living  Corpse 

TABLEAU    I 


The   action    takes   place   at   St.    Petersburg, _  at    the    home   of 
Protasov.     The  scene  represents  a  small  dining-room. 


"SCENE   I. 


Anna  Pavlovna;  a  plump,  gray-haired   lady,  tightly-laced,  if 
sitting  alone  at  the  tea-table. 


SCENE    II. 

Anna  Pavlovna;  the  nurse  {enters  with  a  tea-pot). 

Nurse. 

May  I  have  a  little  water? 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Yes.     How  is  little  Misha? 

Nurse. 

Restless,  as  one  might  expect.     Nothing  is  worse  than  to  have 
madame  herself  do  the  nursing.     She  has  her  troubles,  you  sec, 


12  THE   LIVING    CORPSE. 

V/  and  the  child  suffers.     What  can  the  milk  be  like  if  the  mother 
spends  all  night  crying? 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

It  seems  she  has  quieted  down  now. 

Nurse. 

Quieted  down  indeed!     It  makes  one  sick  to  look  on!      She 
was  writing  something  and  crying  at  the  same  time. 


SCENE    III. 

Anna  Pavlovna,  nurse;  and  Sasha   (enters). 

Sasha. 

To  the  nurse. 

Liza  is  looking  for  you. 

Nurse. 
I'm  going,  I'm  going.     (Nurse  goes  out.) 


SCENE   IV. 

Anna  Pavlovna  and  Sasha. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

The  nurse  says  she  does  not  cease  to  cry.    To  think  that  she 
shouldn't  be  able  to  compose  herself! 

Sasha. 

You   astonish   me,   mamma!     She  has   left   her  husband,   the 
father  of  her  child,  and  yet  you  expect  her  to  be  composed. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Not  exactly  composed.    What's  done  is  done.    If  I,  her  mother, 
not  only  consented,  but  rejoiced  that  my  daughter  should  leave 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  13 

her  husband,  it  means  that  he  deserves  it.  We  should  be  glad, 
not  sorr}-,  that  we  have  rid  ourselves  of  such  a  horrid  person, — - 
such  a  trance ! 

Sasha. 

Mamma,  why  do  you  speak  like  this?  You  know  it  isn't  true. 
He  is  not  horrid,  but  is,  on  the  contrary,  a  remarkable,  a  very 
remarkable  man,  in  spite  of  his  weaknesses. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Precisely, — a  remarkable  man.  As  soon  as  he  has  any  money 
in  his  hands — whether  his  own  or  that  of  other  people 

Sasha. 
Mamma,  he  never  took  other  people's  money. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Well,  his  wife's  then. 

Sasha. 

But  he  gave  his  entire  fortune  to  his  wife. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Why  shouldn't  he  give  it  to  her,  considering  he  knows  that 
he  will  squander  it  all  before  long,  in  any  event. 

Sasha. 

Whether  he  will  squander  it  or  not,  I  only  know  that  a  woman 
should  not  separate  from  her  husband,  and  especially  from  one 
like  Fedya. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

According  to  you  she  should  have  waited  till  he  had  squandered 
everything,  and  had  brought  his  gipsy  mistresses  to  the  house. 

Sasha. 
He  has  no  mistresses. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

That's  just  where  the  trouble  lies, — he  has  somehow  bewitched 
you  all.  But  not  me,  no  indeed!  I  see  through  him,  and  he 
knows  it.  Were  I  in  Liza's  place,  I  would  not  have  waited  till 
now  to  throw  him  over;  I'd  have  done  it  a  year  ago. 


14  THE   LIVING    CORPSE. 

Sasha. 
How  lightly  you  say  all  this. 

y  Anna  Pavlovna. 

Oh,  no!     It's  not  easy  for  me,  a  mother,  to  see  my  daughter 
separated    from   her   husband.      Believe   me,   it   is    most   painful. 
But   just   the   same   it's  better   than    ruining  her   young  life.     I 
thank  the  Lord  that  she  has  made  up  her  mind  at  last,  and  that., 
it's  all  over. 

Sasha. 
Perhaps  it  isn't. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Oh,  if  he  would  only  give  her  a  divorce! 

Sasha. 
What  good  would  that  do? 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
Bear  in  mind  that  she  is  young,  and  may  yet  be  happy. 

Sasha. 

Oh,  mamma !  What  terrible  things  you  do  say !  Liza  cannot 
learn  to  love  another. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Why  not,  if  she  were  free?  There  are  men  a  thousand  times 
better  than  your  Fedya,  and  they  would  be  only  too  happy  to 
marry  her. 

Sasha. 

Mamma,  you  do  wrong  to  talk  that  way.  Of  course,  you  are 
thinking  of   Victor   Karenin;    I   know   it. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

And  why  shouldn't  I  think  of  him?  He  has  loved  her  for 
ten  years,  and  she  loves  him  in  return. 

Sasha. 

Loves  him,  but  not  as  a  husband.  It's  merely  their  friendship 
from  childhood. 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  IS 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

We  know  those  friendships!     Let  only  nothing  stand  in  the 
way! 


SCENE   V. 

Anna  Pavlovna  and  Sasha;    maid   enters. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
Well? 

Maid. 

Madame  sent  the  janitor  with  a  note  to  Victor  Michailovich.      \  ^—^.■,.^4^ 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
What  madame? 

Maid. 

Elizaveta  Andreevna,  the  madame. 

Anna  Pavlovna, 
Well,   what   of   it? 

Maid. 

Victor  Michailovich  sent  word  that  he  would  soon  be  over. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

(Surprised.)     We  were  just  talking  of  him.    Only  I  don't  see 
why  she  sent  for  him.     (To  Sasha.)     Perhaps  you  know? 

Sasha. 
Perhaps  I  do,  and  perhaps  I  don't. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Always   secrets 

Sasha. 

Liza  will  be  here  soon.     She  will  tell  you. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

(Shaking  her  head;   to   the  maid:)     The  samovar  has  to  be 
warmed  up.     Take  it,  Dunyasha. 

Maid  takes  the  samovar,  and  goes  out. 


i6  THE  LIVING  CORPSE. 

SCENE   VI. 
Anna  Pavlovna  and  Sasha. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

(To  Sasha,  who  has  risen  to  go.)     It  happened  just  as  I  fore- 
told.    She  sent  for  him  right  away,  of  course. 

Sasha. 
Perhaps  she  sent  for  him  for  an  altogether  different  reason. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
Well,  why  then? 

Sasha. 

At  this  moment  ICarenin  is  the  same  to  her  as  Trifonovna. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Very  well,  you'll  see.     I  know  her,  let  me  tell  you.     She  is 
Sending  for  him  to  console  her. 

Sasha. 
Oh,  mamma,  how  little  you  know  her  if  you  can  think 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
You'll  see,  all  right.    I'm  glad,  very  glad. 

Sasha. 
We'll  see.     {Turns  and  goes  out.) 


SCENE   VII. 
Anna  Pavlovna  alone. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

(Shakes  her  head,  and  mutters:)     All  right,  let  her.    All  right, 
let  her.     Well 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  17 

SCENE    VIII. 
Anna  Pavlovna  and  maid  {enters). 

Maid. 
Victor  Michailovich   is   here.    - 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
Well,  what  of  it?     Show  him  in,  and  tell  madame. 

Maid  goes  out. 


SCENE   IX. 

Anna  Pavlovna  and  Victor  Karenin. 
-"  Victor  Karenin. 

{Enters,  shakes  hands  with  ^nna,  Pavlovna.)     Elizaveta  An- 
dreevna  sent  me  a  note  that  I  should  come  over.     I  was  going 

to  come  to-night  anyhow,  so  I'm  very  glad, Is  Elizavetta  An- 

dreevna  well? 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Yes,  but   the  baby   is   a   little   restless.     She'll   be  here   soon. 
{Sadly.)    Yes,  yes,  hard  times;  you  know  everythiing,  don't  you? 

Victor  Karenin. 

Yes.     I  was  here,  you  know,  the  other  day,  when  the  letter 
from  him  came.     But  is  it  really  definitely  decided? 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

I  should  say  so!     Why,  of  course!     To  go  through  all  this 
once  more  would  be  terrible. 

Victor  Karenin. 

Yes,  this  is  truJy  a  case  of  "measure  ten  times  before  cutting 
once."    And  to  cut  into  the  living  is  very  hard. 


i8  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Naturally,  it's  hard.     But,  to  be  sure,  their  union  was  cut  into 
.  long  ago.     So  that  to  break  it  was  less  hard  than  it  seems.    He" 
understands  very  well  that  after  all  that  has  happened  he  dare 
not  come  back. 

Victor  Karenin. 
Why   so? 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

How  can  you  expect  otherwise  after  all  his  nastiness,  after 
he  had  sworn  that  it  would  not  happen  again,  and  that  if  it 
should,  he  would  deprive  himself  of  all  the  rights  of  a  husband 
and  give  her  full  freedom? 

Victor  Karenin. 
/  Yes,  but  what  freedom  is  there  for  a  woman  bound  in  wedlock? 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

y'  Divorce !      He   promised    to    divorce    her   and    we    will    insist 
upon  it. 

Victor  Karenin. 

But  Elizaveta   Andreevna   loved  him   so   much 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

rHer  love  was   subjected   to    such    abuse  that  there   is   hardly 
a  shred  left  of  it.     She  had  to  put  up  with  drunkenness,  deceit, 
,  unfaithfulness.     Could  anyone  possibly  love  such  a  husband? 

Victor  Karenin. 
For  love's  sake  one  can  do  anything. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

You  talk  of  love,  but  how  can  anyone  love  such  a  rag,  who 
cannot  be  depended  upon  in  any  way?  What  do  you  think  took 
place  only  lately? — {looks  around  at  the  door  and  s freaks  hur- 
riedly.) Their  affairs  had  gone  to  pieces,  everything  had  to  be 
,  mortgaged,  and  there  was  nothing  to  pay  with.  Finally  an 
uncle  comes  to  the  rescue  with  two  thousand  to  pay  off  the  in- 
terest. He  takes  this  money  and  drops  out  of  sight.  As  for 
the  wife,  she  stays  at  home  with  a  sick  child,  waiting,  when 
at  last  a  note  comes  from  him — asking  her  to  send  hina  his 
linen  and  things! 


/ 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 
Victor  Karenin. 


19 


Yes,  yes,  I  know. 


SCENE    X. 

Anna  Pavlovna,  Karenin.     Enter  Liza  and  Sasha. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Well,   as  you   see,  Victor   Michailovich   has   appeared   as   you 
requested. 

Victor  Karenin. 

Yes,  I  was  detained  a  bit.     (Shakes  hands  zvith  the  sisters.) 

Liza. 

Thanks.     I  have  a  great  favor  to  ask  of  you.     And  I  have 
no  one  to  turn  to  but  you. 

Victor  Karenin. 
I'll  do  everything  I  can. 

Liza. 

You   know    everything,    of    course 


Yes,  I  know. 


Victor  Karenin. 


Anna  Pavlovna. 


I'll  leave  you.     (To  Sasha.)     Come   along,  let's  leave  them 
alone. 


SCENE    XI. 
Lisa  and  Karenin 

Liza. 

Yes,  he  wrote  me  a  letter  that  he  considered  it  all  ended.     I 
(restraining  tears)  felt  so  offended,  so well,  in  a  word,  I  con- 


20  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

scnted  to  break  oflf  with  him  and  answered  that  I  accepted  his 
decision. 

Victor  Karenin. 

And  now  you  regret  it? 

Liza. 

Yes,  I  felt  that  it  was  bad  on  my  part,  that  I  couldn't  do  it 
Anything  is  preferable  to  separating  from  him.    Well,  in  a  word, 

give  him  this  letter.     Please,  Victor, give  him  this  letter,  and 

tell bring  him  back. 

Victor  Karenin. 

(Surprised.)     But  how? 

Liza. 

Tell  him  that  I  ask  him  to  forget  everything  and  to  return. 
I  might  simply  have  sent  the  letter.  But  I  know  him :  The 
first  impulse  will,  as  usual,  be  a  good  one,  but  later,  under 
someone's  influence,  he  will  change  his  mind  and  do  something 
altogether  different  from  his  real  intentions. 

Victor  Karenin. 

I  will  do  what   I   can. 

Liza. 

You  are  astonished  that  I  should  ask  just  you? 

Victor  Karenin. 
No — well,  to  tell  the  truth,  yes,  I  am  astonished. 

Liza. 
But  you  are  not  angry? 

Victor  Karenin. 
Can  I   be  angry  with  you? 

Liza. 
I  asked  you  because  I   knew  that  you  loved  him. 

Victor  Karenin. 

Both  him  and  you.  You  know  it.  I  love  not  for  myself,  but 
for  you.    And  I  thank  you  for  trusting  me.    I  will  do  what  T  can. 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  2i 

Liza. 

I  know  you  will,  and  I  will  tell  you  all :  I  was  just  down 
at  Afremov's  to  find  out  where  he  was.  They  told  me  he  had 
gone  to  the  gipsies'.  And  that's  just  what  I  am  afraid  of.  It's 
that  infatuation  that  I  fear.  I  know  that  if  he  will  not  be 
restrained  in  time  he  will  let  himself  be  carried  away.  That's 
just  what  must  be  prevented.     So  you  will  go  over? 

Victor  Karenin. 

Of  course,  at  once. 

Liza. 

Go  over,  find  him  and  tell  him  that  all  is  forgotten,  that  I 
am   waiting    for    him. 

Victor  Kakenin. 

(Rises.)     But  where  am  I  to  look  for  him? 

Liza. 

He  is  at  the  gipsies'.  I  was  there  myself.  I  was  at  the  door; 
I  wanted  to  send  the  letter  up,  but  I  changed  my  mind  and 
decided  to  ask  you  to  do  it  for  me.  Here  is  the  address.  So 
tell  him  to  come  back,  that  nothing  happened,  that  all's  forgotten. 
Do  it  out  of  love  for  him  and  friendship  for  us. 

Victor  Karenin. 
I  will  do  all  I  can.     (Bows  and  leaves.) 


SCENE    XH. 

Liza  alone. 

Liza. 

I  cannot,   I   cannot.     Anything   is  better  than 1   cannot. 


22  THE  LIVING  CORPSL. 

SCENE   XIII. 

Liza;    Sasha  (enters). 

Sasha. 
Well,  did  you  send  it?  1 

Liza. 
(Nods  yes.)  ; 

Sasha.  j 

And  he  consented?  j 

Liza. 
Of  course. 

Sasha.  'j| 

Why  him?    I  don't  understand. 

Liza. 
Whom   else? 

Sasha. 
But  you  know  that  he  is  in  love  with  you?  ^ 

Liza.  } 

All  that  was,  and  is  no  longer.     But  whom  do  you  want  me 
to  ask,  pray?    Do  you  think  he'll  come  back? 


Sasha. 
I'm  sure  he  will,  because 


SCENE    XIV. 

Liza;  Sasha;  Anna  Pavlovna.     (Sasha  stops  short.) 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
And  where  is  Victor  Michailovich? 

Liza. 
He's  gone 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
Gone? 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  23 

Liza. 
I  asked  him  to  carry  out  my  request. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
What  request?    Another  secret? 

Liza. 

No    secret   at    all.     I    simply   asked   him    to   give   the   letter 
personally  to  Fedya. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
To  Fedya?     To  Fedor  Vasilyevich? 

Liza. 
Yes,  to  Fedya. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

I  thought  it  was  all  over  between  you  two? 

Liza. 
I  cannot  part  with  him. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

What!     All  over  again? 

Liza. 

I  wanted  to,  I  tried  to,  but  I  couldn't.     Anything  you  want 
rather  than  part  with  him. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
Well,  do  you  mean  to  bring  him  back? 

Liza. 
Yes. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
Admit  that  nasty  thing  to  the  house  again? 

Liza. 
Mamma,  I  ask  you  not  to  speak  that  way  of  my  husband. 


24  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
He  was  your  husband. 

Liza. 
No,  he  is  my  husband  tiow. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

A  squanderer,  drunkard,  libertine,  and  you  cannot  part  with 
him?! 

Liza. 

Why  do  you  torture  me?  I  feel  badly  enough  as  it  is,  and 
you  seem  to  torture  me  on  purpose. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
I'm  torturing  you?    Then  I'll  leave  at  once.    I  can't  stand  this. 

Liza. 

(Remains   silent.) 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

I  see  that  you  want  me  to  go,  that  I'm  in  your  >vay.  I 
cannot  endure  it.  I  don't  understand  any  of  your  doings,  any 
of  those  new-fangled  notions  of  j'ours.  First  you  decide  to 
separate  from  him,  then  you  suddenly  send  for  the  man  who 
is  in  love  with  you 

Liza. 
Nothing  of  the  kind. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Karenin  proposed  to  you — r^r:_and  you  send  him  to  fetch  back 
your  husband!     And  why?    To  arouse  Karenin's  jealousy? 

Liza. 
Mamma,  what  you  say  is  terrible.     Leave  me! 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

That's  right — drive  your  mother  out  of  the  house  and  bring 
back  your  scamp  of  a  husband.  I  won't  be  long  in  going,  I 
tell  you.  Good-bye,  then.  The  Lord  be  with  you!  Do  as  you 
please! 

(Goes  out,  slamming  the  door.) 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  25 

SCENE   XV. 

Lisa  and  Sasha. 

Liza. 
{Drops  into  a  chair.)     This  is  too  much! 

Sasha. 

Never  mind!     It'll  turn  out  all  right.     We  shall  manage  to 
pacify  mamma. 


SCENE   XVL 

Liza;  Sasha;  Anna  Pavlovna    (passes  by). 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
Dunyasha !     My  suit-case ! 

Sasha. 
Mamma,  listen!     (Follows  her,  and  winks  to  her  sister.^ 


TABLEAU   II 


SCENE    I. 


A  room  at  the  gipsies'.  The  chorus  is  singing  "Kanavela." 
Fcdya  is  lying  on  a  couch,  face  down,  without  his  coat.  Afremov 
is  astride  of  a  chair,  facing  the  leader  of  the  chorus.  An  officer 
sits  at  the  table  on  zvhich  stand  champagne-bottles  and  glasses. 
At  the  same  table  a  composer  sits,  taking  down  the  melodies. 

Afremov. 
Fedya,  are  you  asleep? 


26  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Fedya. 
Keep   quiet !      Now    let's   have    "  'Twas    Not   At    Eventide." 

Gipsy. 
Not  just  now,  Feodor  Vasilyevich.    Now  let  Masha  sing  alone. 

Fedya. 

All   right  then.     But  after  that,   '"Twas   Not   At   Eventide," 
(lies  down  again.) 

Officer. 


"The  Fatal   Hour!" 
Agreed  ? 
It'll  do. 


Gipsv. 
Afremov. 


Officer. 
(To    the   composer.)      Well,   did   you   take   it    down? 

Composer. 

Impossible.  It  sounds  different  every  time.  And  the  scale 
is  somehow  altogether  unusual.  Look  here  (to  the  gipsy  girl, 
who  is  looking  on),  how  does  this  go?     (Hums.) 

Gipsy  Girl. 
That's  just  right!     That's  fine! 

Fedya. 

(Rising.)  He  won't  take  it  down,  and  if  he  takes  it  down 
and  sticks  it  into  an  opera  he'll  spoil  it  all.  Well,  Masha,  let's 
have  it,  "The  Hour,"  for  all  I  care.  Take  the  guitar.  (Gets  up, 
sits  down  in  front  of  her,  and  gazes  into  her  eyes.) 

Masha. 
(Sings.) 

Fedya. 

Bravo !  Talk  about  Masha !  Now  let's  have  "  'Twas  Not  At 
Eventide." 

Afremov. 

No!     Stop  a  moment!     Sing  mine  first,  a  dirge. 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  27 

Officer. 
Why  a  dirge? 

Afremov. 

Why,  because  when  I'll  be  dead — you  understand,  of  course, 
that  I  shall  die  some  time  or  other — the  gipsies  will  come  to  my 
grave — ^you  understand.  That's  what  I'll  demand  of  my  wife  in 
my  last  will.  And  they'll  sing  "A  hundred  leagues  I  wandered 
once,"  and  I'll  jump  out  of  my  grave — understand?  (To  the 
composer;)  That's  what  you're  to  take  down!  Well,  let's  have 
it! 

(The  gipsies  sing.) 

Afremov. 
Well,  how's  that?     Now  let's  have  "Come,  brave  lads." 
(The  gipsies  sing.) 

Afremov. 
(Winks  slyly.) 

The  gipsies  smile  and  continue  to  sing;  applause. 

Afremov. 
(Sits  down.    The  singing  comes  to  an  end.) 

Gipsies. 
Talk  about  Michail  Andreevich — a  full-fledged  gipsy! 

Fedya. 
Now  let's  have  "Twas  not  at  eventide." 
(The  gipsies  sing.) 

Fedya. 

That's  the  way!  That's  it!  Wonderful!  And  where  does 
all  that  is  expressed  here  happen?  Ah,  fine!  And  why  can  a 
man  attain  to  such  ecstasy,  and  yet  not  be  able  to  sustain  it? 

Composer. 

(Writing  down.)     Yes,  it  is  very  strange. 

Fedya. 
It's  not  strange;  it's  only  truly  beautiful. 


28  THE    LIVING    CORPSE. 

Afremov. 

Now,  let  me  try  it.  (Takes  the  gii'Aar  and  sits  down  near 
Katya.) 

Composer. 

After  all,  it's  very  simple ;   it's  all  in  the  rhythm. 

Fedya. 

(Motions  disapproval,  goes  over  to  Masha  and  sits  dozvn  on 
the  sofa  at  her  side.)  Ah,  Masha,  Masha,  how  you  stir  up  my 
innermost  being! 

Masha. 

Well,  and  what  do  I  ask  of  you  in  return? 

Fedya. 

What?  Money?  (Takes  some  out  of  his  irouser-pocket.) 
Well,  here  you  are,  take  it. 

Masha. 
(Laughs,    takes    the    7iioucy,    and    hides    ii    in    her    bosom.) 

Fedya. 

(To  the  gipsies.)  How  is  one  to  understand  it?  To  me  she 
opens  up  the  door  of  heaven,  and  all  she  cares  for  is  the  money 
she  gets !  You  see,  you  don't  for  a  moment  understand  what 
you  are  doing! 

Masha. 

How  can  you  say  that  I  don't?  I  understand  that  whom  I 
love,  for  him  I  try  to  sing  my  best. 

Fedya. 
And  you  love  me? 

Masha. 
Plain  enough  I  do. 

Fedya. 

Glorious!      (Kisses   her.) 


THE   LIVING    CORPSE.  29 


SCENE    II. 

The  gipsies  and  the  gipsy-girls  go  out.  Three  couples  remain. 
Fedya  with  Masha;  Afremov  with  Kayta;  the  Officer  zvith  Gasha. 
The  Composer  continues  writing.  The  gipsy  runs  his  fingers  over 
the  strings  of  the  guitar,  playing  a  walse. 


Fedya. 

I'm  married,  you  know.     And  as  for  you,  the  chorus  doesn't 
one  bit  like  what  you're  doing. 

Masha. 

The   chorus   can    get    along   well    enough    without    me,    but    a 
heart's  a  heart.     Whom  I  love,  I  love.    And  whom  I  hate  I  hate. 

Fedya. 
Ah,  wonderful!     Are  you  happy? 

Masha. 

Of  course  I  am.    When  the  guests  are  the  right  sort,  we,  too, 
have  a  jolly  time. 


SCENE    III. 

A  gipsy  enters. 

Gipsy. 
(To  Fedya.)     A  gentleman  is  asking  for  you. 

Fedya. 
Who  is  it? 

Gipsy. 
I  don't  know.     He's  well  dressed :  a  sable  coat. 

Fedya. 
'Somebody  of  importance?     Well,  call  him  in. 


30  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

SCENE    IV. 
The  same,  without   the  gipsy. 
Afremov. 
Who  can  be  looking   for  you  here? 

Fedya. 
The  devil  knows!    Who  has  any  business  with  me? 


SCENE   V. 
The  same;  Karcnin  enters  and  looks  around. 

Fedya. 

Ah,  Victor!  Didn't  expect  you,  to  be  sure!  Take  off  your 
things.  What  wind  blew  you  here?  Well,  sit  down.  You'll  hear 
"Twas  Not  At  Eventide." 

Victor  Karenin. 
Je  voudrais  vous  parler  sans  temoins. 

Fedya. 
What  about? 

Victor  Karexin. 

Je  viens  de  chez  vous.  Votre  femme  m'a  charge  de  cette  lettre, 
et  puis . 

Fedya. 

(Takes  the  letter,  reads  it,  frowns,  then  smiling  pleasantly.) 
Listen,  Karenin,  you  must  know  what's  in   this  letter? 

Victor  Karenin. 
I  know  and  wish  to  say 

Fedya. 

TToUl  on,  hold  on.  Please  don't  think  that  I  am  drunk,  and 
that  I'm  not  re.=;ponsible  for  what  I  say.     I  am  drunk,  but  in  this 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  31 

matter  I  see  everything  clearly.    Well,  what  were  you  instructed 
to  say? 

Victor  Karenin. 

I  was  instructed  to  find  you  and  to  tell  you  that— she — is 
waiting  for  you.  She  asks  you  to  forget  everything  and  to 
come  back. 

Fedya. 

(Listens  silently,  looking  into  his  eyes.)  I  don't  understand, 
just  the  same,  why  it  was  you ? 

Victor  Karenin. 
Elizaveta  Andreevna  sent  for  me  and  asked  me  to 

Fedya. 
I  see. 

Victor  Karenin. 

But  I  ask  you,  not  so  much  in  your  wife's  name  as  in  my 
own,  to  return  home  with  me. 

Fedya. 

You're  so  much  better  than  I  am.  What  nonsense !  It  isn't 
very  hard  to  be  better  than  I  am.  I'm  a  good-for-nothing,  and 
you're  a  very  excellent  person.  And  for  this  very  reason  I  shall 
not  change  my  decision.  But  that't  not  really  the  reason.  T 
simply  cannot  and  will  not  do  it.     And  how  could  I? 

Victor  Karenin. 

Let  us  go  to  my  home  now.  I  shall  tell  them  that  you  will 
return,  and  to-morrow 

Fedya. 

And  to-morrow,  what  then?  It  will  be  all  the  same.  I'll 
be  I,  and  she'll  be  she.  (Goes  to  the  table  and  takes  a  drink.) 
A  tooth  should  be  pulled  out  at  the  first  attempt.  I  told  her, 
you  know,  that  if  I  should  break  my  word  again,  she  should 
throw  me  over,     I  broke  it :  that  ends  it  all. 

Victor  Karenin. 
For  you,  but  not  for  her. 


32  THE    LIVING    CORPSE. 

Fedya. 

Strange  that  you  should  be  so  anxious  that  our  union  should 
not  be  broken. 

Victor  K-^renin. 

(Is  about  to  say  something.     Masha  approaches.) 

Fedya. 

{Interrupting   him.)     Just  hear  how  she  sings  "Through  the 
fields  a-sowing  flax."     Masha! 

The  gipsies  gather. 

Masha. 
{In  a  whisper.)     I  say,  let's  sing  a  toast  to  the  stranger! 

Fedya. 
{Laughingly.)     A  toast  to  Victor  Michailovich ! 
(The  gipsies  sing.) 

Victor  Karenin. 

{Listens  in  embarrassment,  then  asks:)     How  much  shall  I 
give  them? 

Fedya. 

Twenty-five  will  do. 

Victor  Karenin. 

{Gives  them  the  money.) 

Fedya. 
Marvelous !    Now  let's  have  "Through  the  fields  a-sowing  flax." 

{The  gipsies  sing.) 

Fedya. 

{Looking  around.)     Karenin  has  skipped!     Well,  to  the  deuce 
with  him ! 

{The  gipsies  scatter.) 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  33 

SCENE   VI. 

Fedya. 

(Sitting  down  with  Masha.)     Do  you  know  who  that  was? 

Mas  HA. 

I  heard  his  name. 

Fedya. 

He's  an  excellent  chap.  He  came  to  take  me  home  to  my 
wife.  She  loves  me,  as  big  a  fool  as  I  am,  and  this  is  the  way 
I  behave ! 

Masha. 

Well,  it's  mean  of  you.  You  ought  to  go  to  her.  You  ought 
to  pity  her. 

Fedya. 
You  think  I  should?    I  think  I  shouldn't. 

Masha. 

Naturally,  if  you  don't  love  her,  then  you  needn't.  But  love 
is  a  fine  thing. 

Fedya. 

How  do  you  know? 

Masha. 

I  simply  know;  that's  all. 

Fedya. 

Well,  kiss  me.  Boys!  Once  more  "Through  the  fields,"  and 
then  an  end  to  it. 

(The  gipsies  commence  singing.) 

Fedya. 

Ah,   glorious!     If  there  were  only  no  awakening .     Just 

to  die  like  this . 


ACT  II 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  yj 


TABLEAU   I 

Two  weeks  Imve  passed  since  the  first  act.  Liza's  home. 
Karenin  and  Anna  Pavlovna  are  sitting  in  the  dining-room. 
Sasha  enters. 


SCENE   I. 

Victor  Karenin. 
Well? 

Sasha. 

The  doctor  says  the  danger  is  over.     Only  we  have  to  beware 
of  a  cold, 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
And  Liza  is  all  worn   out. 

Sasha. 

He  says  it  is  false  croup  of  a  mild  sort.     (Pointing  to  a  basket.^ 
What's  this? 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
Those  are  grapes  that  Victor  brought. 

Victor  Karenin. 
Won't  you  have  some? 

Sasha. 
Yes,  she'll  like  them.     She  has  become  very  nervous. 

Victor  Karenin. 
Two  nights  without  sleep,  without  food. 

Sasha. 
(Smiling.)     But  you  didn't  sleep,  either. 

Victor  Karenin. 
I — that's  another  matter. 


38  THE   LIVING    CORPSE. 

SCENE   II. 

The  same.     Enter  Liza  and  the  Doctor. 

Doctor. 

{Impressively.)  That's  right.  Change  it  every  half  hour  if 
he's  not  asleep.  If  he's  asleep,  don't  disturb  him.  You  needn't 
paint  his  throat.  The  temperature  of  the  room  is  to  be  kept 
constant. 

Liza. 

And  if  he  has  a  choking  spell  again? 

Doctor. 

He  won't.  But  if  he  should — use  the  powders.  In  addition, 
give  him  one  in  the  morning  and  one  in  the  evening.  I'll  write 
out  the  prescription  at  once. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Won't  you  have  some  tea.   Doctor? 

DOCTOS. 

No,  thank  you.  My  patients  are  waiting.  (Sitting  down  at 
the  table).     {Sasha  brings  him  pen  and  ink.) 

Liza. 

Are  you  sure  it's  not  the  croup? 

Doctor. 
(Smiling.)      Absolutely.      (Writes.) 

Victor  Karenin. 

(To  Lica.)  Have  some  tea,  then,  or,  still  better,  go  and  rest; 
just  look  at  yourself  and  see  what  you  look  like ! 

Liza. 

Now  I'm  myself  again.  Thank  you.  What  a  true  friend  you've 
been  to  me!  (Pressing  his  hand.)  (Sasha  turns  away  in 
disgust.) 

Liza. 
Thanks,  dear  friend.     That's  how  a  dear 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  39 

Victor  Karenin. 
What  have  I  done?    There's  certainly  nothing  to  thank  me  for. 

Liza. 
And  who  sat  up  nights?     Who  brought  the  specialist? 

Victor  Karenin. 

I  am  amply  rewarded  by  the  fact  that  Misha  is  out  of  danger, 
and  above  all — by  your  appreciation.       -.. 

Liza. 

(Presses  his  hand  again  and  laughs,  shozving  him  a  coin  that 
she  held  in  her  hand.)  That's  for  the  Doctor.  But  I  never  know 
how  to  give  it  to  him. 

Victor  Karenin. 

Neither  do  I. 

Liza. 


lat  ! 


To  think  of  giving  money  to  a  doctor !     He  has  saved  what 
is  dearer  to  me  than  my  life,  and  in  return  I  offer  him  money.  I 
There's  something  so  vulgar  about  it.  .—-— * 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Let  me  have  it;  I'll  give  it  to  him.  I  know  how.  It's  very 
simple. 

Doctor. 

(Rising  and  handing  her  the  prescription.)  Dissolve  one  of 
these  powders  thoroughly  in  a  tablespoon  of  boiled  water  and — 
{continues.) 

(Karenin  at  the  table,  drinking  tea.  Anna  Pavlovna  and  Sasha 
step  into  the  foreground.) 

Sasha. 

I  cannot  endure  their  behavior.  She  acts  just  as  if  she  were 
in  love  with  him. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

What's  there  so  strange  about  that? 

Sasha. 
It's  disgusting. 


40  THE    LIVING    CORPSE. 

Doctor. 

(Departs,  bidding   them  all  good-bye.     Anna  Pavlovna   takes 
him  to  the  door.) 


SCENE    III. 
Liza,  Karenin,  Sasha. 

Liza. 

{To  Karenin.)  He's  such  a  dear  now.  As  soon  as  he  felt 
better  he  began  to  smile  and  prattle.  I'll  go  to  him.  And  yet 
I  don't  want  to  leave  you  alone,   either. 

Victor  Karenin. 
But  have  some  tea,  have  something  to  eat. 

Liza. 

I  don't  need  anything  now.  I  feel  so  well,  now  that  all  the 
torture  is  over.     {Sobbing.) 

Victor  K.\renin. 
There  now,  you  see  how  weak  you  are! 

Liza. 
I  am  happy.     Don't  you  want  to  look  at  him? 

Victor  Karenin. 
Why,  of  course. 

Liza. 
Come  along.     {Tkey  go  out.) 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  41 

SCENE   IV. 
Anna  Pavlovna  (enters),  Sasha. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

(To  Sasha.)  Why  are  you  looking  as  solemn  as  an  owl?  I 
handed   it  to  him   very  nicely,   and   he   took   it,   too. 

Sasha. 

It's  sickening.  She  took  him  along  with  her  into  the  nursery, 
as  if  he  were  her  fiance  or  her  husband. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

What  do  you  care?  What  are  you  boiling  about?  Perhaps 
you  wanted  to  marry  him? 

Sasha. 

I!  That  poker?  I  would  rather  marry  I  don't  know  whom 
than  him.  I  never  even  gave  it  a  thought.  I  am  only  disgusted 
tliat  Liza  can  get  on  such  intimate  terms  with  a  stranger,  after 
Fedya. 

AnX.V   P.A.VL0VNA. 

A  fine  stranger  indeed  !     A  childhood  friend ! 

Sasha. 

But  I  see  by  their  smiles,  their  eyes,  that  they  are  in  love  with 
one  another. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

What's  there  so  strange  about  that?  He  took  the  child's 
illness  so  much  to'  heart,  showed  so  much  sympathy  and  was  so 
helpful.  Naturally  she's  grateful ;  and,  besides,  why  shouldn't  .she 
fall   in   love   with   Victor   and   marry   him? 

Sasha. 
That   would  be   terrible,   disgusting!      Disgusting! 


42  THE    LIVING    CORPSE. 

SCENE   V. 
Karenin  and  Liza  enter, 

Victor  Karenin. 
{Takes  leave  silently.) 

Sash  A. 
(Goes  out  in  anger.) 


SCENE   VI. 

Anna  Pavtovna  and  Liza. 

Liza. 
{To  her  mother.)    What's  the  matter  with  her? 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
I  really  don't  know. 

Liza. 
{Sighs  silently.) 


TABLEAU   TI 

In  Afremo-i/s  den.    Glasses  filled  with  wine.    Guests. 


SCENE    I. 


Afremov,     Fedya,    Stachov     {shaggy,     unkempt),     Biitkevich 
{smooth-faced),  Korotkov   (a   hanger-on). 

KOROTKOV. 

And   I  tell  you  she'll  be   left   at  the  post!     "La   Belle  Boas" 
can't  be  matched  in   Europe.     What'il  you  bet? 


THE   LIVING    CORPSE.  43 

Stachov. 

Hold  your  horses,  old  boy!  You  know  well  enough  that 
nobody  believes  a  word  of  what  you  say,  and  that  no  one  will 
take  you  up. 

KOROTKOV. 

I  tell  you  that  your  Kartush  will  be  left  at  the  post. 

Afremov. 

Stop  quarreling!  Here's  a  way  out  of  it!  Ask  Fedya;  he'll 
tell  you  the  truth. 

Fedya. 
Both  horses  are  good.     It  all  depends  on  the  driver. 

Stachov. 
Gusev  is  a  rascal.     You  have  to  keep  an  eye  on  him. 

KoROTKOV. 

(Shouting.)     It  isn't  so! 

Fedya. 

There  now,  just  a  moment;  let  me  settle  this  for  you.  Who 
won    the    Derby  ? 

KoROTKOV. 

He  won  it,  but  that  doesn't  signify  anything.  It  was  mere 
luck.    If  Krakus  hadn't  fallen  sick look !  (Lackey  enters.) 


SCENE    II. 

The  same,  and  the  lackey. 

Afremov. 


What  is  it? 


44  THE   LIVING    CORPSE. 

Lackey. 
There's  a  lady  here — she  wants  to  see  Feodor  Vasilyevich. 

Afremov. 
What  sort  of  a  lady?     A  real  one? 

Lackey. 
I  couldn't  tell.    But  she  looked  to  me  like  a  real  lady. 

Afremov. 

Fedya,  a  lady  wants  to  see  you. 

Fedya. 

(Frightened.)      Who   is   it? 

Afremov. 
He  doesn't  know. 

Lackey. 
I'll  ask  her  into  the  parlor,  anyhow. 

Fedya. 
Wait,  I'll  go  and  see.     (Fedya  and  the  lackey  go  out.) 


SCENE    IIL 
The  same,  without  Fedya  and  the  lackey. 

KOROTKOV. 

Who   can   it  be   that  wants   him? 1    suppose   it's   Masha. 

Stachov. 
Whom  do  you  mean? 

KoROTKOV. 

The  gipsy-girl.     She's  in  love  with  him.     And  she  loves  him 
as  a  cat  loves. 


THE  LIVING   CORPSE.  4S 

Stachov. 

She's  a  dear  girl !     And  how  she  sings ! 

Afremov. 

Wonderfully !     Tanyusha  and  she.     Yesterday  they  sang,  to- 
gether with  Peter 

Stachov. 
There's  a  lucky  dog  for  you! 

Afremov. 
Because  the  women  folks  like  him?     God  help  them! 

KOROTKOV. 

I  can't  stand  those  gipsy  girls — there's  nothing  chic  about  them, 

BUTKEVICH. 

Don't  say  that ! 

KoROTKOV. 

I  would  exchange  them  all  for  one  French  girl. 

Afremov. 

You're  a  well-known  judge  of  beauty.     I  think  I'll  go  and  see 
who  it  is (goes  out.) 


SCENE    IV. 

The  same,  zi'ithout  Afremov. 

Stachov. 

If  it's  Masha,  bring  her  in.  We'll  make  her  sing  something. 
No.  gipsies  aren't  what  they  used  to  be.  There  was  one  of 
them,  Tanyusha Ah  ! There's  no  one  else  like  her  ! 

BUTKEVICH. 

But  I  think  they're  all  alike. 


46  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Stachov. 

How  can  you  say  that,  knowing  that  insipid  ballads  have  taken 
the  place  of  beautiful   songs? 

BUTKEVICH. 

There  are  some  beautiful  ballads  too. 

KOROTKOV. 

What  will  you  wager  that  I  will  have  her  sing  something  and 
you  will  not  be  able  to  tell  whether  it's  a  ballad  or  a  song? 

St.\chov. 
As  usual,  Korotkov  is  ready  to  bet. 


SCENE   V. 

Tke  same,  and  Afremov. 

Afremov. 

{Enters.)  Gentlemen,  it  is  not  Masha.  And  there's  no  other 
room  but  this  one  to  receive  the  visitor  in.  Let's  go  into  the 
billiard  room.     {They  all  go  out.) 


SCENE    VI. 
Enter  Fcdyn  and  Sasha. 

Sasha. 

{Confused.)      Fcdva,    forgive   me   if  T   am   embarrassing  you; 
but  for  goodness'  sake,  listen  to  me.     (Her  voice  is  trembling.) 

Fedva. 

(Pacing   the  room).      {Sasha   has  seated  herself  and  looks  at 
him.) 


THE    LIVING   CORPSE.  47 

Sasha. 
Fedya,  come  back  home. 

Fedya. 

Listen,  Sasha,  I  understand  you  very  well.  Sasha,  my  dear, 
I  would  have  done  the  same  in  your  place.  I  would  have  tried 
to  somehow  restore  everything  to  its  former  state;  but  were  you 
in  my  place,  dear,  conscientious  little  girl,  as  strange  as  it  may 
sound — were  you  in  my  place,  you  would  surely  have  done  what 
I  did,  that  is,  j'ou  would  have  gone  away,  you  would  have  re- 
fused to  be  in  the  way  of  another  person's  happiness. 

Sasha. 

What  do  you  mean  by  "in  the  way?"  Do  you  think  that  Liza 
can  live  without  you? 

Fedya. 

Ah,  my  dear,  darling  Sasha,  she  can.  yes,  she  can,  and  she  will 
still  be  happy,  much  happier  than  with  me. 

Sasha. 

Never ! 

Fedya. 

That's  what  you  imagine.  {Holding  her  hand  in  his.)  But 
that  isn't  it.  The  main  thing  is  that  I  can't,  you  see.  You  know 
how  it  is — take  a  heavy  piece  of  paper  and  bend  it  this  way  and 
that,  you  may  bend  it  a  hundred  times  without  breaking  it,  but 
bend  it  once  more  and  you'll  break  it.  That's  the  way  it  is  with 
Liza  and  me.  It  hurts  me  too  much  to  look  her  in  the  face,  and 
she  feels  the  same  way,  believe  me. 

Sasha. 

No,  no! 

Fedya. 

You  say  no,  but  you  know  it's  so. 

Sasha. 

I  only  judge  by  myself.  If  I  were  in  her  place  and  you  told 
me  what  you're  telling  me  now — I  should  have  felt  perfectly 
miserable. 


48  THE   LIVING    CORPSE. 

Fedya. 
Yes,  you  would — (.Silence;  both  are  embarrassed.) 

Sasha. 
(Rising.)     Must  things  really  remain  this  way? 

Fedya. 
There's  no  help  for  it 

Sasha. 

Fedya,  come  back. 

Fedya. 

Thank  you,  dear  Sasha.  You  will  always  hold  a  dear  place 
in  my  memory.  Well,  good-bye,  my  dear.  Let  me  kiss  you. 
(Kisses  her  forehead.) 

Sasha. 

(Excited.)  No,  I  won't  say  good-bye,  I  don't  believe  it,  I  can't 
believe  it — Fedya ! 

Fedya. 

Well,  then  listen.  Only  promise  that  you'll  not  repeat  what 
I  am  about  to  tell  you.     Do  you  promise? 

Sasha. 

Certainly. 

Fedya. 

Listen,  then,  Sasha.  It  is  true  I  am  her  husband,  the  father 
of  her  child,  but  I  am  in  the  way.  Wait,  just  a  moment,  don't 
contradict  me.  You  think  I  am  jealous?  Not  one  bit.  In  the 
first  place  I  have  no  right  to  be,  and  in  the  second  place  I 
have  no  cause.  Victor  Karenin  is  an  old  friend  of  hers  and 
of  mine  too.     And  he  loves  her  and  she  loves  him. 

Sasha. 

It's  not  true. 

Fedya. 

She  loves  as  any  honest,  pure  woman  loves,  who  does  not 
allow  herself  to  love  anybody  but  her  husband.  But  she  loves 
and  is  going  to  love  him  openly  when  this  obstacle  (pointing  to 


THE    LIVING    CORPSE.  49 

himself)   will  be  removed,  and  I  am  removing  it,  and  they  will 
be  happy.     {His  voice  trembles.) 

Sasha. 
Eedya,  don't  say  that. 

Fedya. 

You  know  very  well  that  it  is  true,  and  I  shall  rejoice  in 
their  happiness,  and  this  is  the  best  that  I  can  do — I  shall  not 
return,  I  tell  you,  and  I  shall  give  them  their  freedom — and  that's 

what  you  must  tell  them .  Don't,  don't .  Good-bye !  (Kisses 

her  on  the  forehead  and  opens  the  door.) 

Sasha. 
Fedya,  I  admire  you ! 

Fedya. 
Good-bye,  good-bye .    (Sasha  goes  out.) 


SCENE    VII. 

Fedya,  alone. 

Fedya. 
Yes,   3'es wonderful,    excellent .    (Rings.) 


Call  your  master. 


SCENE    VIII. 

Fedya  and  the  lackey. 

Fedya. 


SCENE    IX. 
Fedya. 


It's  true,  it's  true- 


50  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

SCENE  X. 

Afremov  enters. 

Fedya. 
Let  us  go  out. 

Afremov. 
How  did  you  manage  things? 

Fedya. 

Fine!     "She  vowed  and  she  promised."     Excellently!     Where 
is  everybody? 

Afremov. 
They're  playing  billiards  upstairs. 

Fedya. 
Very   well,   let's   go   over,   let   us   also   stay  there   a   while. 


I 


ACT  III 


THE   LIVING    CORPSE.  53 

TABLEAU   I 
Characters. 

Prince  Ahrezkov — o  well-dressed  bachelor  of  sixty,  with'  a 
mustache,  a  dignified,  serious-looking  old  soldier.  Anna  Dmi- 
trievna  Karenina  {Victor's  mother,)  grande  dame  of  fifty,  who 
tries  to  appear  youthful;  she  uses  French  expressions  every  now 
and  then.     Also   Victor,  Lisa,  and  the  lackey. 

(Anna  Dmitrievna's  boudoir,  simply  yet  sumptuously  furnished, 
and  full  of  souvenirs.) 


SCENE   I. 
Anna  Dmitricvna  and   the  lackey. 
Lackey. 
{Announces.)     Prince  Sergey  Abrezkov. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Show  him  in.     {Turns  around,  and  tidies  herself  before   the 
mirror.) 


SCENE   n. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

{Entering.)    J'espere  que  je  ne  force  pas  la  consigne.     {Kissing 
ker  hand.) 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Yon  know  that  vous  etes  toujours  le  bienvenir,  and  just  now 
especially  so.     Did  you  receive  my  note? 

Prince  Abrezkov, 
Yes.     And  here  is  my  answer. 


54  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Ah,  my  friend,  I'm  getting  desperate.  II  est  ensorcele  post- 
tivement  ensorcele.  I  never  knew  him  to  be  so  persistent,  so 
obstinate,  so  heartless  and  indifferent  to  me.  He's  an  altogether 
different  person  since  that  woman  threw  her  husband  over. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
Well,  what   is  the  matter?     What  does  he   want? 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 
He  wants  to  marry  her,  at  any  cost. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
And  what   about   her   husband? 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 
He  is  willing  to  give  her  a  divorce. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
Is  that  so ! 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

And  Victor  is  ready  to  plunge  right  into  it,  into  all  the 
nasliness,  into  all  that  mess  of  lawyers  and  testimony.  Tout  ga 
est  degoutant.  Yet  all  that  doesn't  discourage  him.  I  don't 
understand  him.     With  all  his  sensitiveness  and  shyness,  he 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
is  in  love.    Ah,  if  a  man  is  really  in  love . 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Yes,  but  why  could  love  in  our  days  be  pure,  uniting  people 
by  bonds  of  friendship  that  lasted  through  life?  That's  the  kind 
of  love  I  understand  and  value. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

Nowadays  the  new  generation  is  not  satisfied  with  such  ideal 
relations.  La  possession  de  Tame  ne  leur  suffit  pas.  We  cannot 
change  that!     But  what  about  him? 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  55 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

What  shall  I  tell  you  of  him?  He  is  as  if  under  a  spell. 
He  is  no  longer  his  former  self.  You  know — I  went  to  see  her. 
He  begged  me  so  much.  I  went  over,  but  did  not  find  her  in, 
and  left  my  card.  Elle  m'a  fait  demander  si  je  ne  pourrais  la 
recevoir.  So  I'm  expecting  her  soon  {looking  at  the  clock),  at 
about  two  o'clock.  I  promised  Victor  to  receive  her,  but  just 
imagine  the  position  I  am  in!  I  am  not  altogether  myself;  and 
by  force  of  habit  I  sent  for  you,  for  I  need  your  help. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

Thank  you. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

You  must  realize  that  this  visit  of  hers  will  determine  every- 
thing, Victor's  whole  life.  I  must  either  refuse  to  give  my 
consent   or — but   how   can    I  ? 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
Do  you  know  her  at  all? 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

I  have  never  even  seen  her.  But  I'm  afraid  of  her.  A  good 
woman  could  not  possibly  decide  to  leave  her  husband,  especially 
since  he  is  such  a  good  man.  He  is  a  friend  of  Victor's,  you 
know,  and  used  to  come  to  our  house.  He  was  charming.  And 
even  if  he  weren't.  Quelsque  soient  les  torts  qu'il  a  en  vis-a-vis 
d'elle,  a  woman  should  never  leave  her  husband;  she  should 
bear  her  cross.  One  thing  I  cannot  understand— and  that  is 
how  Victor,  with  his  principles,  can  think  of  marrying  a  divorced 
woman !  How  many  times — why,  only  a  short  time  ago,  he  had 
a  hot  argument  with  Spitzyn,  in  my  presence,  proving  that 
divorce  is  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  and  now  he 
acts  against  his  own  convictions.     Si  elle  a  pu  lui  charmer  a  une 

telle  point .  I   am  afraid  of  her.     I  called  you,  however,  to 

get  your  advice, — and  here  I  am  doing  all  the  talking!  What 
is  your  opinion?  Tell  me!  How  do  you  feel  about  it?  What 
do  you  think  should  be  done?     Did  you  speak  to  Victor? 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

I  did,  and  I  think  he  really  loves  her ;  quite  unawares,  he 
has  grown  to  love  her  deeply:  this  love  has  taken  strong  posses- 
sion of  him;  and  as  slow  a3  he  is  to  make  up  his. mind,  just  so 
hard  is   it  to  make  him  change  it  once  it  is  made  up.     What 


S6  THE    LIVING   CORPSE. 

has  once  entered  his  heart  will  not  be  rooted  out;  he  will  love 
no  one  but  her;  and  he  will  never  be  happy  with  another. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

And  to  think  how  ready  Varya  Kasantseva  would  have  been 
to  marry  him!     What  a  charming  girl,  and  how  she  loves  him! 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

(Smiling.)  Cest  compter  sans  son  bote.  That  is  altogether 
out  of  the  question  now.  And  I  think  it  would  be  best  to  give 
in  and  help  him  get  married. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

To  a  divorced  woman,  so  that  he  should  meet  his  wife's 
husband?  I  don't  understand  how  you  can  say  that  so  calmly! 
Is  that  the  sort  of  a  woman  a  mother  could  wish  to  see  her  only 
son   married  to?     And   such   a   son   as    mine? 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

But  what  is  to  be  done,  dear  friend?  Ol  course,  it  would 
be  better  if  he  were  to  marry  a  girl  whom  you  knew  and  loved; 

but    if    that    is    impossible .    And    besides,    what    if    he    had 

married  a  gipsy,  or  heaven-knows-whom?  And  Liza  Protasova 
— is  a  very  nice,  amiable  woman.  I  know  of  her  through  my 
niece  Nellie.     She  is  a  kind,  gentle,  loving,  pure  woman. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 
A  pure  woman,  who  decides  to  throw  her  husband  over? 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

This  is  not  at  all  like  you.  You  are  unkind  and  unfair. 
Her  husband  is  one  of  those  men  of  whom  it  may  be  said 
that  they  are  their  own  worst  enemies.  But  he  is  a  still  greater 
enemy  to  his  wife.  He  is  a  weak,  depraved  man,  a  drunkard. 
He  has  squandered  his  own  fortune,  and  all  of  hers  too, — and 
don't  forget  that  she  has  a  child.  How  can  you  blame  a  woman 
fo.-  leaving  such  a  husband?  Besides,  it  wasn't  she  who  left 
him,  but  he  who  left  her. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Oh.  what  filth,  what  mire!  And  I  have  to  besmirch  myself 
with   it! 


THE   LIVING    CORPSE.  57 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
And  what  does  your  religion  teach  you  to   do? 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Yes,  yes, — forgiveness.  "As  we  forgive  our  debtors."  Mais 
c'est  plus  fort  que  moi. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

How  could  she  live  with  such  a  person,  pray?  Even  if  she 
didn't  love  anyone  else,  it  was  right  for  her  to  have  done  what 
she  did,  for  the  sake  of  her  child.  The  husband  himself,  who 
is  a  kind  and  reasonable  man,  when  he  has  his  wits  about  him, 
advised  her  to  do  it . 


SCENE    III. 


Anna  Dmitrievna,  Prince  Abrezkov,  Victor  enters.  (Kisses 
his   mother's   hand,   and   greets   Prince   Abrezkov.) 

Victor  Karenin. 

Mamma,  I  came  to  tell  you  just  one  thing.  Elizaveta  An- 
dreevna  will  be  here  soon,  and  I  ask  and  beg  you  to  do  only 
this :  If  you  persist  in  refusing  to  give  your  consent  to  my 
marriage 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

(Interrupting  him.)     Of  course  I   shall  persist  in  refusing  to 

give  my  consent. 

Victor  Karenin. 

(Continuing  to  talk,  and  frowning.)  I  have  only  one  request 
to  make  of  you :  Don't  mention  your  unwillingness  to  consent, 
and  don't  make  up  your  mind  too  soon. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

I  don't  think  I  shall  care  to  discuss  the  matter.  I,  for  one, 
shall  certainly  not   broach   the   subject. 

Victor  Karenin. 

Neither  will  she.  I  only  wanted  that  you  should  get  to 
know  her. 


S8  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

There  is  one  thing  I  cannot  understand,  and  that  is,  how 
you  reconcile  your  desire  to  marry  Madame  Protasov,  whose 
husband  is  living,  with  your  religious  principks..jhat__diy.Qrce^ 
is   contrary  to   Christianity?  '     "  '        — — ~— - 

Victor  Karenin. 

Mamma,  it's  cruel  of  you !  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  we  are 
all  so  infallible  that  we  cannot  deviate  from  our  opinions,  when 
life  is  so  complex?     Mamma,  why  are  you  so  cruel  to  me? 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 
I  love  you,  and  I  want  to  see  you  happy. 

Victor  Karenin. 
(To  Prince  Ahreskov.)     Sergey  Dmitrievich! 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

Of  course  you  want  to  see  him  happy,  but  we  greyheads  can- 
not understand  the  young  people.  It  is  especially  hard  for  a 
mother  who  has  become  accustomed  to  an  idea  of  her  own  as 
to  her  son's  happiness.    All  the  women  are  like  that. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

That's  just  it.    Everybody  is  against  me.     Of  course,  you  may 

do   as  you   please.     You're   of   age,   vous   etes   majeur .   But 

you  will  break  my  heart. 

Victor  KL\renin. 

This  is  so  unlike  you !     This  is  worse  than  cruelty. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

{To  Victor.)  Stop,  Victor.  Mamma  always  says  more  than 
she  means. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

I  shall  say  what  I  feel  and  think,  and  I  shall  do  so  without 
hurting  her  feelings. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
We   don't   doubt   it. 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  S9 

SCENE   IV. 
Anna  Dmitrievna,  Prince  Abreskov,  Victor;  the  lackey  (enters). 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

Here  she  is. 

Victor  Karenin. 

I  shall  go  to  receive  her. 

Lackey. 

Elizaveta  Andreevna  Protasova. 

Victor  Karenin. 
I'm    going.      Mamma,    please .     (Leaves.) 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
(Also  rising.) 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Show  her  in.     (To  Prince  Abrezkov.)     No,  remain  here. 


SCENE   V. 
Anna  Dmitrievna  and  Prince  Abreskov. 
Prince  Abrezkov. 
I  thought  you  would   feel   more  at  ease  en  tete-a-tete. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

No,  I  fear  it.  (Restless.)  If  I  should  want  to  remain 
tete-a-tete  with  her,  I  shall  nod  to  you.  (^a  dependra.  Just 
now  it  would  embarrass  me  to  remain  alone  with  her.  I  shall 
signal  to  you  like  this.     (Makes  a  motion.) 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

I  shall  understand.  I'm  sure  you  will  like  her.  Only  be 
fair  to  her. 


6o  THE   LIVING   CORPSR 

Anna  Dmitrievn/ 
To  think  that  you  are  all  against  me ! 


SCENE   VI. 


AtiJta  Dmitrievna,  Prince  Abrezkov.  Lica  enters  in  a  hat  and 
afternoon-gown. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

(Rising.)  I  was  sorry  not  to  find  you  in,  but  j'ou  were  kind 
enough  to  come  over  yourself. 

Liza. 

T  never  expected  it.  I  am  so  grateful  to  you  that  you  wanted 
to  see  me. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 
Have  you  met  one  another?     (Pointing  to  Prince  Abreskov.) 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

Of  course,  I  have  had  the  honor  of  meeting  Mme.  Protasov. 
(Shaking  hands,  then  sits  down.)  My  niece  Nellie  often  speaks 
to  me  of  you. 

Liza. 

Yes,  we  were  great  friends.  (Glancing  timidly  at  Anna 
Dmitrievna.)  And  we  are  on  friendly  terms  now  too.  (To 
Anna  Dmitrievna.)  I  never  expected  that  you  would  want  to 
see  me. 

Anna   Dmitrievna.' 

T  knew  your  husband  well.  He  was  on  friendly  terms  with 
Victor  and  used  to  call  on  us  before  he  went  to  live  in  Tambov. 
I   believe   it  was  there   that   he   married  you? 

Liza. 
Yes,  we  were   married   tlicre. 


THE  LIVING   CORPSE.  6i 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

And,  after  that,  when  he  came  back  to  Moscow,  he  did  not 
come  to  see  us  any  more. 

Liza. 
Yes,    he   hardly    went    anywhere. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 
And  he   never   brought   us   together.      (Awkward  silence.) 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

The  last  time  I  saw  you  was  at  the  Demisov's,  at  a  perform- 
ance.    It  was  very  enjoyable.     And  you  took  part  in  it. 

Liza. 

No — Oh  yes,  I  remember,  I  did  take  part.  (Again  silence.) 
Anna  Dmitrievna,  forgive  me,  if  what  I'm  going  to  say  will  hurt 
you,  but  I  cannot,  I  don't  know  how  to  conceal  my  feelings.  I 
came  because  Victor  Michailovich  said — because  he — that  is  be- 
cause you  wanted  to  see  me — but  I  would  rather  say  it  all — 
(sobbing) — my  heart  is  heavy — and  you  are  so  kind. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
I  think  I'd  better  go. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 
Yes,  do. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
Good-bye.     (Takes  leave  of  the  two  women  and  goes  out.) 


SCENE   VII. 
Anna  Dmitrievna  and  Lisa. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Listen.    Liza — I   don't   know  your   full   name,   but   it   doesn't 
matter. 


62  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Liza. 
It's  Liza  Andreevna. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Well,  never  mind — Liza.  I  am  very  sorry  for  you,  I  like  you. 
But  I  love  Victor.  He  is  the  only  being  in  this  world  I  love. 
I  know  his  soul  as  I  do  my  own.  His  is  a  proud  soul.  He 
was  proud  when  a  mere  boj' — proud  not  of  his  name  and 
fortune,  but  of  his  purity,  his  moral  standing;  and  he  has 
preserved  it.     He  is  as  innocent  as  a  virgin. 

Liza. 
I  know  it. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

He  never  loved  any  woman  before.  You  are  the  first  one. 
I  won't  say  that  I  am  not  jealous  of  you.  I  am.  But  we 
mothers — your  boy  is  still  small,  it's  too  early  for  you — we 
are  preparing  ourselves  for  it.  I  was  preparing  myself  to  yield 
him  to  a  wife  and  not  be  jealous.  But  to  yield  him  only  to  one 
as  pure  as  himself. 

Liza. 
I — do   you   mean   that   I .  , 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Excuse  me,  I  know  it's  not  your  fault,  but  you  are  unfortunate. 
I  too  know  him.  At  present  he  is  ready  to  put  up  with  every- 
thing and  will  do  it;  but  he  will  suffer  and  never  say  a  word. 
His   wounded  pride   will   suffer   and    he   will   be   unhappy. 

Liza. 
I  was  thinking  of  that  myself. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Liza,  my  dear,  you  are  a  sensible,  good  woman.  If  you  love 
him  you  long  for  his  happiness  more  than  for  your  own.  And 
if  that  is  the  case,  you  don't  want  to  tie  him  down  and  make 
him  regret  it,  though  he  will  never  say  so — never. 

Liza. 

I  know  he  will  not  say  it.  I  thought  of  it  and  asked  myself 
that  question.  T  thought  it  over  and  spoke  to  him  about  it.  But 
what  aan  I  do  if  he  savs  that  he  doesn't  want  to  live  without 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  63 

me?  I  said:  Let  us  be  friends,  don't  dispose  of  your  life, 
don't  bind  your  pure  life  to  my  unfortunate  one.  But  he 
wouldn't  listen  to  me. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 
Yes,   he  doesn't  want  to   listen   now, 

Liza. 

Persuade  him  to  leave  me.  I  shall  be  satisfied.  I  love  him 
for  the  sake  of  his  happiness,  not  mine.  Only  stand  by  me, 
don't  hate  me.  Let  us  seek  his  happiness  together,  in  a  spirit 
of  love. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Yes,  yes,  I've  learned  to  love  you.  (Kisses  ker;  Liza  weeps.) 
But  this  is  terrible,  just  the  same,  terrible!  If  only  he  had 
fallen  in  love  with  you  when  you  had  not  yet  decided  to  get 
married 

Liza. 

He  says  he  did  learn  to  love  me  then,  but  didn't  want  to  stand 
in   the   way  of  his    friend's   happiness. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

Oh,  how  pitiful  it  all  is!  But  let  us  love  each  other,  just 
the  same,  and  the  Lord  will  help  us  to  see  our  way  clear. 


SCENE    VIH. 
Anna  Dmitrievna,  Liza,  and  Victor. 

Victor  Karenin. 

(Stef'ping  forth.)  Mamma,  dear.  I  heard  everything — I  ex- 
pected it !  You  have  learned  to  love  her,  and  everything  will 
turn  out  well. 

Liza. 

What  a  pity  that  you  heard  everything — I  would  not  have 
spoken 


64  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

I  have  come  to  no  decision,  just  the  same.  I  can  only  say 
this,  that  were  it  not  for  all  these  aggravating  circumstances,  I 
would  have  been  very  much  pleased.     {Kisses  her.) 

Victor  Karenin. 
Don't    change   your    mind,    please. 

(Curtain.) 


TABLEAU   II 

A  modestly  furnished  room,  a  bed,  writing  desk,  and  couch. 

SCENE    I. 

Fedya,  alone.  A  knock  at  the  door.  A  zvoman's  voice  is 
heard' from  behind  the  door:  "Why  did  you  lock  yourself  in, 
Feodor   Vasilyevich?     Fedya,  open   ike  door!" 


SCENE    II. 

Fedya  and  Masha. 

Fedya. 

(Rises  and  opens  the  door.)     Hovi^  nice  of  you  to  come!     I 
was  lonesome,  very  lonesome. 

Masha. 

Why    didn't   you    come    over    to    us?      Drinking   again?      Oh, 
you!     And  you  gave  me  your  word! 

Fedya. 
You  know,  all  my  money  is  gone. 


THE    LIVING   CORPSE.  65 

Masha. 
Why  did   I   learn  to   love   you ! 

Fedya. 

Masha ! 

Masha. 

Yes,  Masha,  Masha.  If  you  loved  me  you  would  have  been 
divorced  long  ago.  They  were  asking  you  for  it  too.  You  say 
that  you  don't  love  her ;  yet  you  cling  to  her.  Evidently  you 
don't  want 

Fedya. 
You  know  well  enough  why   I    don't  want  to. 

Masha. 

That's  all  nonsense.  They  are  right  who  say  that  you  are 
a  will-o'-the-wisp! 

Fedya. 

What  shall  I  tell  you?  To  say  that  your  words  hurt  me 
would  be  saying  what  you   already  know. 

Masha. 

Nothing    hurts    you 

Fedya. 

You  know  yourself  that  there  is  only  one  joy  in  life  for  me — 
your  love. 

Masha. 

My  love  is  what  it  should  be,  you  see;  but  how  about  yours? 

Fedya. 

Well,  I'm  not  going  to  assure  you  of  it.  And  there's  no  need 
of  it ;  you  know  for  yourself. 

Masha. 
Fedya,  why   do  you  torture  me? 

Fedya. 
I  should  like  to  know  who 


66  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Masha. 

{Weeping.)     You  are  mean. 

Fedya. 

(Goes  over,  and  embraces  her.)  I^Iasha,  what  are  you  crying 
for?  Stop  it!  One  must  live  and  not  whimper.  It  doesn't 
become  you  at  all,  my  little  beauty ! 

Masha. 
You  love  me? 

Fedya. 
Whom  else  should  I  love? 

Masha. 
Me  alone?     Well,   read  to   me  what  you  have  written. 

Fedya. 
It    will    bore    you. 

Masha. 
Since   it's  you  who  have   written   it,   it  must   be    all    right. 

Fedya. 

Well,  listen.  (Reads.)  "In  the  late  fall  we  agreed  with  our 
comrades  to  meet  at  the  Murygin  landing-place.  That  landing- 
place  is  on  a  rocky  island  abounding  in  wild  fowl.  It  was  a 
dull,  warm,  listless  day.     A  fog " 


SCENE    III. 


Fedya  and  Maska.  An  old  fjpsy,  Iran  Makarovich,  and  an 
old  gipsy-woman,  Nasfasya  Ivanovna,  Alaska's  paroits,  enter. 

Nastasya   Ivanovna. 

(Approaching  her  dau^htcr.^  That's  where  you  are,  you 
runaway!  Greetings  to  you,  sir.  (To  her  daughter.)  What 
are  j'ou  doing  to  us?     Tell  me? 


THE   LIVING    CORPSE.  67 

Ivan   Makarovich. 

(To  Fedya.)  It's  not  fair,  sir.  You're  ruining  the  girl.  It's 
not  at  all   fair.     You're  acting  mean. 

Nastasya   Ivanovna. 

Put  on  your  shawl  and  get  out  at  once !  Just  think  of  your 
running  away!  What'Il  I  tell  the  chorus?  Just  think  of  your 
getting  in  with  a  beggar !     What  can  he  give  you  ? 

Masha. 

I'm  not  getting  in  with  him.  I  love  him  and  that's  all.  I'm 
not  leaving  the  chorus.     I'll  sing,  and  as  far 

Ivan   Makarovich. 

Say  another  word  and  I'll  pull  your  hair  out,  you  good-for- 
nothing  imp!  Whose  example  are  you  following?  Not  your 
father's,  nor  your  mother's,  nor  your  aunt's.  It's  a  shame,  sir. 
We  loved  you;  how  often  did  we  sing  to  you  for  nothing; 
we  pitied  you.     And  what  did  you   do   in  return? 

J^astasya   Ivanovna. 

He  has  ruined  our  little  girl,  our  own,  our  only  one;  he 
has  dragged  our  jewel,  our  treasure  into  the  mire — that's  what 
he  has  done.     You  have  no  conscience. 

Fedya. 

Nastasya  Ivanovna,  you  suspect  me  without  any  reason.  Your 
daughter   is   like   a   sister   to  me.      I   guard  her   honor,   and   you 

need  have  no  fear.    I  love  her What  else  do  you  want  me  to 

do? 

Ivan   Makarovich. 

It's  strange  you  didn't  love  her  when  you  had  money.  Then 
you  might  have  paid  the  chorus  about  ten  thousand  roubles,  say, 
and  could  have  taken  her  in  an  honorable  way.  And  now  you 
have  squandered  everything  and  have  taken  her  away  by  stealth. 
Shame  on  you,  sir,  shame  on  you! 

Masha. 

He  didn't  take  me  away,  T  came  to  him  myself.  And  if  yon 
will    take    me    back    now.    I'll    go    to    him    again.      I    love    him, 

that's  all !      My  love   is   stronger   than   all   your  bars 1    don't. 

want  to  return   with   3-ou  I 


68  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Nastasya   Ivanovna. 

Well,  Masha,  darling,  don't  get  angry.     You  did  wrong;  let's 
go  now. 

Ivan  Makarovich. 

Well,  that'll  do.     Come!     (Taking  her  by  the  hand.)     Excuse 
us,   sir.      {All   three   leave.) 


SCENE   IV. 

Fedya.     Prince  Abrezkov  enters. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

Excuse  me.  I  was  an  unintentional  witness  of  an  unpleasant 
scene. 

Fedya. 

Whom  have  I  the  honor  of  addressing?  (Recognising  him.) 
Ah,    Prince    Sergey   Dmitrievich.      (Shaking   hands.) 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

I  said,  an  unintentional  witness  of  an  unpleasant  scene.  I 
wish  I  could  have  avoided  hearing  them.  But  since  I  have  heard 
it  all  I  consider  it  my  duty  to  tell  you  so.  I  was  directed  to 
this  room  and  had  to  wait  at  the  entrance  until  those  people 
left,  all  the  more  so  since  my  knocking  at  the  door  could  not 
be  heard  by  you  on  account  of  their  loud  talking. 

Fedya. 

Yes,  yes,  come  right  in,  please.  I  thank  you  for  having  spoken 
of  it,  for  it  gives  me  a  right  to  explain  the  meaning  of  this 
scene  to  you.  It  doesn't  matter  what  yon  will  think  of  me. 
But  I  wish  to  say  that  the  reproaches  which  you  heard  them 
hurl  at  this  girl — the  gipsy,  the  singer — are  unjust.  This  girl  is 
as  pure  as  a  dove.  And  my  relations  to  her  are  merely  those 
of  friendship.  If,  as  may  well  be,  they  look  to  be  romantic,  that 
doesn't  destroy  the  purity  and  honor  of  this  girl.  That's  what 
I  wanted  to  tell  you.  Now,  what  is  it  that  you  want  of  me? 
What  can  I  do  for  you? 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  69 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
In  the  first  place,  I 

Fedya. 

Excuse  me,  Prince.  My  present  position  in  society  is  such 
that  my  slight  and  remote  acquaintance  with  you  does  not  entitle 
me  to  a  visit  from  you,  unless  you  are  here  on  some  business. 
Well,  what  is  it? 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

I  will  not  deny  it;  you  guessed  right.  I  am  here  on  business. 
However,  I  beg  you  to  believe  that  the  change  in  your  position 
can  in  no  way  influence  my  relations  to  you. 

Fedya. 
I  am  quite  sure  of  that. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

I  am  here  because  I  have  been  asked  by  the  son  of  my  old 
friend,  Anna  Dmitrievna  Karenina,  as  well  as  by  herself,  to  find 
out  directly  from  you  about  your  relations — I  hope  you  will 
not  mind  my  speaking  of  it — about  your  relations  to  your  wife, 
Elizaveta  Andreevna   Protasova. 

Fedya. 

My  relations  to  my  wife,  I  may  say  to  my  former  wife,  are 
all  ended. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

I  thought  so.  And  that's  the  only  reason  why  I  undertook 
this   difficult  commission. 

Fedya. 

They  are  ended,  I  hasten  to  state,  not  because  of  any  fault 
of  hers,  but  because  of  my  fault,  rather  because  of  my  unlimited 
faults.  She,  however,  is  as  she  has  always  been,  a  most  unre- 
proachable  woman. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

So  you  see,  Victor  Karenin,  and  especially  his  mother,  have 
asked  me  to  find  out  from  you  just  what  your  intentions  are. 


70  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Fedya. 

(Excited.)  What  intentions? — I  have  none.  I  give  her  com- 
plete freedom.  More  than  that,  I  shall  never  disturb  her  peace. 
I  know  that  she  loves  Victor  Karenin.  Well,  let  her.  I  consider 
him  a  great  bore,  but  otherwise  a  very  good,  honest  man,  and  1 
think  she  will  be  (as  one  usually  puts  it)  happy  with  him. 
And — que  le  bon   Dieu   les  benisse !     That's   all. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

Yes,  but  we   should 

Fedya. 

(Interrupting.)  And  don't  think  that  I  am  the  least  bit  jealous. 
If  I  said  of  Victor  that  he  was  a  bore,  I  take  back  that  word. 
He  is  an  excellent,  honest,  moral  man,  the  very  opposite  of  me. 
And  he  has  loved  her  from  his  childhood.  Perhaps  she,  too, 
loved  him  when  she  married  me.  That  happens.  The  best  love 
is  the  kind  one  is  not  conscious  of.  She  always  loved  him, 
I  think,  but,  as  an  honest  woman,  did  not  confess  it  even  to 
herself.  But  that — a  kind  of  shadow  was  thrown  over  our 
married  life However,  why  should  I  confess  all  this  to  you? 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

Please  do.  Believe  me  that  the  most  important  thing  in  this 
visit  is  my  desire  to  fully  understand  those  relations.  I  under- 
stand you.  I  understand  that  this  shadow,  as  you  so  well 
expressed  it,  must  have  been 

Fedya. 

It  certainly  was,  and  that's  perhaps  the  reason  why  I  could 
find  no  satisfaction  in  the  sort  of  married  life  she  was  oflfering 
me.  I  was  longing  for  something  else,  and  so  let  myself  be 
carried  away.  This,  however,  may  seem  as  if  I  were  trying  to 
justify  myself.  I  do  not  wish  to  justify  myself,  nor  is  it  possible 
for  me  to  do  so.  I  n'as,  I  purposely  say  was,  a  bad  husband. 
I  was,  because  now  I  consider  myself  no  longer  her  husband.  I 
consider  her  perfectly  free.  So  there  you  have  an  answer  to 
your  commission. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

But  you  know  Victor's  family  and  himself.  His  relations  to 
Elizaveta  Andreevna  always  were  and  continue  to  be  most  re- 
spectful and  formal.     He  helped  her  when  she  was  in  trouble. 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  71 

Fedya. 

Yes,  I  encouraged  their  intimacy  by  my  loose  life.  What's  to 
be  done?     It  had  to  be  that  way. 

Prince  Aerezkov. 

You  know  his  and  his  family's  strict,  orthodox  principles. 
I  don't  share  them;  I  look  upon  those  matters  from  a  broader 
point  of  view.  But  I  respect  and  understand  them.  I  understand 
that  for  him,  and  especially  for  his  mother,  any  union  with  a 
woman,  without  the  sanction  of  the  church,  is  out  of  the  question. 

Fedya. 

Yes,  I  know  how  stup how  straight-laced  and  conservative 

he  is  in  this  respect.  But  what  do  they  want?  A  divorce?  I 
told  them  long  ago  that  I  was  willing  to  give  it,  but  to  have  to 
take  upon  myself  the  whole  guilt,  and  to  face  all  the  lies 
connected  with  it,  is  very  hard. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

I   fully  understand  you  and  agree  with  you.     But  what   is  to 

be  done?     I  think  it  could  be  arranged However,  you  are 

right.     It's  terrible,  and  I  sympathize  with  you. 

Fedya. 

(Pressing  his  hand.)  Thanks,  dear  Prince.  I  always  con- 
sidered you  a  good,  honest  man.  Now  tell  me,  how  am  I  to 
act?  What  shall  I  do?  Just  realize  the  position  I  am  in.  I 
don't  try  to  grow  better.  I'm  a  good-for-nothing.  But  there 
are  things  which  I  cannot  do  calmly.     I  cannot  tell  a  lie  calmly. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

I  don't  understand  you,  after  all.  How  can  you,  an  able, 
sensible  man,  so  susceptible  to  everything  that's  good — how  can 
you  let  yourself  be  carried  away,  how  can  you  so  forget  what 
you  demand  of  yourself?  How  did'"you  reach  this  sfage," how 
did  you  ruin  your  life? 

Fedya. 

(Restraining  tears  of  emotion.)  I  have  been  leading  this 
loose  life  for  the  last  ten  years,  and  this  is  the  first  time  that 
a  man  in  your  station  has  expressed  any  sympathy  for  me.  I 
have  had  the  sympathy  of  my  comrades,  of  sports,  of  women,  but 
of  a  sensible,  good  man  like  you Thank  you !     How  did  I 


V 


72  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

fall  so  low?  Blame  it  upon  wine,  first  of  all.  It  isn't  for  its 
taste  that  I  like  it,  but  whatever  I  do,  I  always  feel  that  I  am  not 
doing  what  I  should,  and  I  feel  ashamed  of  myself.  Just  now 
I  am  talking  to  you,  and  yet  I  feel  ashamed  of  myself.  And 
when  it  comes  to  being  a  leader,  holding  a  position  in  a  bank — ■ 
I'm  so  embarrassed,  so  ashamed  of  myself — and  it's  only  when 
you  take  a  drink  that  you  cease  feeling  ashamed  of  anything. 
And  music — not  operas  and  Beethoven,  but  gipsy  music — it's 
inspiring,  it  fills  you  with  such  energy-!  And  don't  forget  those 
lovely  black  eyes  and  smiles.  Yet  the  more  entrancing  it  is,  the 
more  ashamed  of  oneself  one  feels  afterwards. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
Well,  and  how  about  work? 

Fedya. 

I  tried  it.  Nothing  would  do.  I  was  dissatisfied  with  every- 
thing.    However,  why  talk  about  myself?     Thank  you. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

What  shall  I  say,  then? 

Fedya. 

Say  that  I  will  do  what  they  want  me  to.  They  want  to  get 
married,  don't  they — they  want  nothing  to  prevent  them  from 
marrying? 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

Of  course. 

Fedya. 
I  will   do  it,  tell  them ;   I   will   surely  do  it. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

When? 

Fedya. 

Wait  a  while.  Well,  in  two  weeks,  let  us  say.  Is  that  all 
right? 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
(Risins;.)      So  I   may  tell  them  that? 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  73 

Fedya. 
You  may.     Good-bye,  Prince;  thank  you  again. 
{Prince  Abrezkov  goes  out.) 


SCENE   V. 

Fedya,  alone. 
Fedya. 


(^Sits  for   a   long   time,  smiling   silently.)      Good,   very  good. 
That's   just   it!      That's    it,   that's    it!      Excellent! 

{Curtain.) 


ACT  IV 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  ^^ 


TABLEAU   I 

At  an  inn.     A  private  room.     The  waiter  ushers  in  Fedya  and 
Ivan  Petrovich  Aleksatidrov. 


SCENE   I. 
Fedya,  the  waiter,  »nd  Ivan  Petrovich  (at  the  door.) 

Waiter. 

Right  here,  please.  No  one  will  disturb  you  here,  and  I  shall 
bring  you  some  paper  right  away. 

Ivan  Petrovich. 
Protasov,  I  want  to  come  in. 

Fedya. 

(Seriously.)     Come  in  if  you  want  to,  but  I'm  busy  and 

Come  in. 

Ivan  Petrovich. 

You  are  going  to  reply  to  their  demands?  I'll  tell  you  how 
to  do  it.  I  wouldn't  go  about  it  that  way.  I  always  talk  frankly 
and  act  determinately. 

Fedya. 
(To  the  waiter.)    A  bottle  of  champagne.     (Waiter  goes  out.) 


SCENE   II. 


Fedya  and  Ivan  Petrovich.     (Fedya  takes  out  a  revolver  and 
puts  it  down.) 

Fedya. 

Wait  a  while. 


78  THE   LIVING    CORPSE. 

Ivan-  Petrovich. 

^  JVjiat?  You  want jto._shoot:  yourself?  Go  ahead,  go  ahead! 
I  understand  you.  They  want  to  humiliate  you,  and  you'll  show 
them  who  you  are.  You'll  kill  yourself  with  a  revolver,  and 
then  with  your  magnanimity.  I  understand  you.  I  understand 
everything,  because  I  am  a  genius. 

Fedya. 

Of  course,  of  course.    Only {IVaitcr  enters  with  paper  and 

ink.) 


I 


SCENE    III. 
Fedya,  Ivan   Petrovich,  and   the  waiter. 

Fedya. 

(Covers  the  revolver  7i.'ith  a  napkin.)  Open  the  bottle.  Let's 
drink.      {They   drink.)      (Fedya   writes.)      Wait   a   while. 

Ivan  Petrovich. 

Here's  to  your — long  journey!  I  am  above  all  that,  you  see. 
I  will  not  attempt  to  stop  you.  A  genius  is  equally  indifferent 
to  life  and  death.  I  am  dead  during  life,  and  live  after  death. 
You  will  kill  yourself,  so  that  those  two  people  should  pity 
you.  And  I — T  shall  kill  myself,  so  that  the  whole  world  should 
realize  what  it  has  lost.  I  shall  not  hesitate  or  reflect,  either. 
I  take  it  (grasps  the  revolver)  a  moment — and  it's  all  over. 
But  the  time  has  not  yet  come  for  it.  (Puts  hack  the  re7'olver.) 
Nor  need  I  leave  any  notes  behind ;  they  ought  to  understand 
for   themselves.      Ah,    you 

Fedya. 
Stop  a  moment ! 

Ivan  Petrovich. 

How  pitiful  people  are!  They  hurry  and  fcurry,  and  yet  don't 
understand,  don't  comprehend  anything.  I'm  not  talking  to  you. 
I  am  just  expressing  my  thoughts.  And  what  does  humanity 
need?  Very  little;  only  to  learn  to  appreciate  its  geniuses.  But 
it  has  always  executed,   persecuted,   and   tortured    them.      No — 


THE    LIVING    CORPSE.  79 

I  will  not  be  vour  toy !     I  shall  expose  you !     N-o-o-o.     Hypo- 
crites ! 

Fedya. 
(Has  finished  writing,  reads  while  drinking.)     Go  away,  please. 

Ivan  Petrovich. 

Go  away?  Well,  good-bye.  I  will  not  attempt  to  stop  you. 
I'll  do  the  same.  But  it's  yet  too  early.  I  only  want  to  tell 
you 

Fedya. 

All  right;  you'll  tell  me  a  little  later,  but  now  listen  to  this, 
my  friend.  Please  give  this  to  the  landlord  (/landing  him  some 
money),  and  ask  him  for  a  letter  and  a  package  in  my  name. 
Please,  do. 

Ivan  Petrovich. 

Very  well.  So  you'll  wait  for  m.e?  I  have  something  im- 
portant to  tell  you,  something  that  you  will  have  no  chance  to 
hear,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  not  even  in  the  next  one,  at 
least  not  until  I  get  there.     Am  I  to  give  him  all  this? 

Fedya. 
As  much  as  I  owe  him.      (Ivan  Petrovich  goes  out.) 


SCENE    IV. 

Fedya,  alone. 

Fedya. 


(Breathes  a  sigh  of  relief,  closes  the  door  after  Ivan  Petrovich, 
takes  the  revolver,  raises  it.  puts  it  to  his  temple,  shiz'crs  and 
lets  it  doivn  carefully.     Roars.) 

Fedya. 

No,  I  c?nnot,  cannot,  cannot!  (Knock  at  the  door.)  Who  is 
it?     (Masha's  voice  behind  the  door:  I !) 


80  THE    LIVING    CORPSE. 

Fedya. 
Who  is  it?     Ah,  Masha !     (Opens  the  door.) 


SCENE   V. 
Fedya  and  Masha. 

Masha. 

I  was  at  your  room,  at  Popov's,  at  Afremov's,  and  finally  de- 
cided that  you  must  be  here.  (Sees  the  revolver.)  That's  nice! 
There's  a  fool  for  you !  A  fool  indeed !  Did  you  really  mean 
to  do  it? 

Fedya. 
No,   I  could  not. 

Masha. 

And  what  of  me?  You  heartless  man!  You  did  not  pity  me? 
Ah,  Fedor  Vasilyevich,  it's  a  sin,  a  sin!     For  my  love 

Fedya. 
I  wished  to  set  them  free,  I  promised.     And  I  cannot  lie. 

Masha. 
And  what  of  me? 

Fedya. 

T  would  have  broken  your  fetters,  too.     Or  do  you  prefer  to 

suffer  with  mc? 

Masha. 
Of  course  I  do.     I  cannot  live  without  you. 

Fedya. 

What  sort  of  a  life  is  this?  You  would  have  wept  some  and 
t!icn  you  would  have  gone  on  living. 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  8i 

Masha. 

Indeed,  I  would  not  have  wept  at  all !  To  the  deuce  with 
you,  if  you  have  no  pity  for  me.     i^lVeeps.) 

Fedya. 
Masha,  my  love,  I  wanted  to  improve  matters. 

AIasha. 
Yes,    for  yourself. 

Fedya. 

(Smiling.)  How  would  I  have  been  better  oS,  if  I  had  killed 
myself? 

Masha. 

Of  course  you  would  have  been  better  off.  But  what  do  yott 
need?     Tell  me. 

Fedya. 
What  do  you  mean?     I    need   many  things. 

Masha. 
Well,   what,   what  ? 

Fedya. 

I  need,  first  of  all,  to  keep  my  promise.  That's  the  first  thing, 
and  that's  enough.  I  cannot  lie  and  do  ail  those  nasty  things 
that  are  necessary  for  a  divorce. 

Masha. 
I'll   admit  they  are  nasty.     I   myself 


Fedya. 

Then  I  need  to  set  them  free,  both  my  wife  and  him.  Why 
not?  They  are  nice  people.  Why  should  they  suffer?  That's 
the  next  thing. 

Masha. 
Well,  I  cannot  see  much  good  in  her,  if  she  threw  vou  over. 


82  THE    LIVING   CORPSE. 

Fedya. 
She  didn't  throw  me  over — I  did  it  all. 

Masha. 

Very  well,   very  well.     It's   all  your   fault.     She's   an   angel. 
What's  next? 

Fedya. 

The  next  thing  is  that  you  are  a  dear,  good  little  girl, — I  love 
you;   and  if   I   remain   alive   I   shall   ruin  you. 

Masha. 

You  needn't  trouble  yourself  about  that,  let  me  tell  you.    Leave 
it  to  me  to  decide  what  will  ruin  me. 


Fedya. 

(Sighs.)  And  the  main  thing,  the  main  thing  is:  What  does 
my  life  amount  to?  Don't  I  see  that  I  am  lost,  a  mere  good- 
for-nothing?  I  am  a  burden  to  myself  and  to  everybody  else, 
as   your    father   said.      I'm   a   good-for-nothing! 

Masha. 

Just  listen  to  that  nonsense!  You  can't  shake  me  off!  I  shall 
cling  to  you,  that's  all !  As  for  your  leading  a  bad  life  and 
drinking Well,  you're  a  man  !     Drop  it !     That's  all ! 


That's  easily  said. 
Just  do  it. 


Fedya. 


Masha. 


Fedya. 
There,  when  I  look  at  you,  it  seems  as  if  I  could  do  anything. 

Masha. 

And  you  will  do  it.  You  will  do  everything.  (Notires  the 
letter.)  What's  that?  You  wrote  to  them?  What  did  you 
write? 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  83 

Fedya. 

What  did  I  write?  (Takes  the  letter  and  wants  to  tear  it  up.) 
Now  I  don't  need  it  any  more. 

Masha. 

(Snatches  the  letter  out  of  his  hand.)  Did  you  write  you 
killed  yourself?  Yes?  You  didn't  mention  the  revolver?  Did 
you  mention  the  word  killed? 

Fedya. 
Yes,  I  said  I  would  no  longer  exist. 

Masha. 

Let  me  have  it,  let  me,  let  me!  Have  you  ever  read  "What's 
To  Be  Done?" 

Fedya. 
I  think  I  have. 

Masha. 

It's  a  tedious  novel,  but  one  thing  about  it  is  very,  very  good. 
He,  what's  his  name? — Rachmanov — went  to  work  and  pretended 
to  have  been  drowned.  So  you — you  don't  know  how  to  swim, 
do  you? 

Fedya. 
No. 

Masha. 

That's  just  it.  Let  me  have  your  clothes;  everything,  your 
wallet,  too. 

Fedya. 

What  do  you  mean? 

Masha. 

Wait,  wait,  just  wait!  Let  us  go  home.  You'll  change  your 
clothes  there. 

Fedya. 
But  that's  deceit! 


^ 


84  THE    LIVING    CORPSE. 

Masha. 

Never  mind !  You  see,  you  went  in  bathing,  your  clothes  were 
left  on  the  shore.  In  the  pocket  will  be  found  your  wallet  and 
this  letter. 

Fedya. 

Well,  aad  what  then  ? 

Masha. 

Then?  Then  we'll  go  away  from  here  and  live  happily  for- 
ever after. 


SCENE   VI. 
Fedya,  Masha;  Ivan  Petrovich  enters. 
Ivan  Petrovich. 
What  do  you  think  of  that!    Where's  the  revolver?    I'll  take  it. 

Masha. 
Take  it.     Do.     We're  going  away. 

{Curtain.) 


TABLEAU   II 

A  drawing-room  at  Mme.  Protas07/s. 


SCENE    I. 

Karenin,  Liza. 

Victor  Karenin. 
He  promised  it  so  definitely  that  I'm  sure  he'll  keep  his  word. 


THE   LIVING    CORPSE.  85 

Liza. 

I'm  ashamed  to  admit  it,  but  I  must  say  that  after  what  I 
have  found  out  about  that  gipsy-girl,  I  feel  entirely  free.  Don't 
think  it's  jealousy.  It's  not  that,  it's  rather  a  feeling  of  liberation 
that  I  have.  How  shall  I  make  you  understand  it?  What  was 
torturing  me  above  everything  else  was  that  I  felt  I  was  loving 
two  men  at  once.    And  that  means  that  I  am  an  immoral  woman. 

Victor  Karenin. 
You  an  immoral  woman? 

Liza. 

But  the  moment  I  found  out  that  he  had  dealings  with  another 
woman,  which  means  that  he  doesn't  need  me,  I  considered 
myself  free,  and  felt  that  I  could,  without  lying,  tell  you  that 
I  loved  you.  Now  my  soul  is  at  ease,  and  I  am  troubled  only 
by  the  condition  I  am  in,  by  that  divorce.  All  that  is  so  trying, 
especially  the  anticipation  of  it. 

Victor  K.\renin. 

It  will  all  be  over  soon,  very  soon.  In  addition  to  Fedya's 
promise,  I  asked  the  secretary  to  go  to  him  with  the  application 
and  not  to  leave  before  he  will  have  signed  it.  If  I  didn't  know 
him  as  well  as  I  do,  I  would  have  thought  he  was  delaying  on 
purpose. 

Liza. 

On  purpose?  No,  it's  always  that  same  weakness  and  honesty 
of  his.  He  will  not  say  what  isn't  true.  It  was  in  vain  you  sent 
him  the  money. 

Victor  Karenin. 
Why  not?     It  might  have  been  a  cause  of  delay. 

Liza. 
No,  it  doesn't  seem  quite  right  to  have  sent  him  money. 

Victor  Karenin. 
Well,  he  can  now  afford  to  be  a  little  less  punctilious. 

Liza. 

Whatjsgoists  we  have  become !  ' 


86  THE    LIVING   CORPSE. 

Victor  Karenin. 

Yes,  I  admit  it.  But  you  have  no  one  to  blame  but  yourself. 
I  am  very  happy  now,  after  all  that  waiting,  that  hopelessness; 
and  happiness  makes  us  selfish.     It's  all  your  fault. 

Liza. 

You  think  you  are  the  only  one  who  feels  that  way.  I  feel 
just  the  way  you  do.  I  am  floating  on  the  wings  of  happiness. 
Everything  has  come  our  way.  Mika  is  getting  better,  your 
mother  loves  me,  and  you  love  me,  and,  what  is  most  important, 
I  love  you! 

Victor  Karenin. 
You  do?     Without  regrets?     With  no  return? 

Liza. 

From  that  day  on  everything  within  me  suddenly  took  a  new 
turn. 

Victor  Karenin. 
And  it  can  never  be  different  again? 

Liza. 

Never.  I  only  wish  it  should  be  as  ^nal  with  you  as  it  is 
with  me. 

SCENE    IL 

Karenin,  Lisa,  the  muse  with  the  baby.  (The  nurse  enters 
with  the  baby.  The  boy  goes  to  his  mother,  zvho  takes  him  on 
her  lap.) 

Victor  Karenin. 

What  unfortunate  people  we  are! 

Liza. 

What  makes  you  say  that?     (Kisses  tke  child.) 

Victor  Karenin. 

When  you  were  married  and  when,  after  your  return  from 
abroad,  I  found  it  out  and  felt  that  I  had  lost  you,  I  was  unhappy, 
and   I  was  glad  to  learn  that  you  remembered  me.     That  was 


THE    LIVING   CORPSE.  87 

enough  for  me.  Then,  when  we  resumed  our  friendly  relations 
and  I  felt  that  you  cared  for  me,  that  there  was  in  our  friendship 
a  tiny  spark  of  something  more  than  mere  friendship,  I  began 
to  feel  almost  happy.  1  was  only  tortured  by  the  fear  that  I 
was  not  honest  towards  Fedya.  I  was  always  so  firmlj^  convinced, 
however,  of  the  impossibility  of  anything  but  the  purest  friend- 
ship in  my  relations  to  my  friend's  wife — and  I  knew  you  too — 
that  it  didn't  trouble  me  very  long,  and  I  was  satisfied.  Then, 
when  Fedya  began  to  torment  you  and  I  felt  that  I  was  a  comfort 
to  you,  and  that  you  feared  my  friendship,  I  was  altogether 
happy,  and  a  certain  indefinite  hope  sprang  up  within  me.  Later 
on,  when  he  became  quite  unbearable,  you  decided  to  leave  him, 
and  when  I  told  you  everything  for  the  first  time,  and  you  didn't 
say  no,  but  turned  away  from  me  in  tears,  my  happiness  was 
complete.  If  anyone  would  have  asked  me  then  what  else  I 
wanted,  I  should  have  answered :  "Nothing."  Then  we  saw  a 
chance  of  uniting  our  lives,  mamma  learned  to  love  you,  the  pos- 
sibility began  to  realize  itself;  you  told  me  you  had  always  loved 
me  and  loved  me  now;  then  you  told  me,  as  you  did  just  now, 
that  he  did  not  exist  for  you.  that  you  loved  only  me — what  else 
could  one  ask,  what  else  could  I  wish  for?  But  no,  at  present 
I  am  tormented  by  the  past.  I  wish  that  past  had  never  been, 
that  there  was  nothing  to  remind  us  of  it. 

Liza. 
(Reproachfully.)     Victor! 

Victor  Karenin. 

Liza,  forgive  me.  I  say  this  because  I  don't  want  to  have  any 
thoughts  concerning  you  hidden  from  you.  All  this  I  said  on 
purpose  to  show  you  how  mean  I  was,  and  since  I  know  that  I 
have  reached  the  limit,. I_haye  to  struggle  with  myself  and  con- 
quer myself.    And  I  have  conquered.    I  love  him. 

Liza. 

That's  what  you  ought  to  do.  I  did  all  I  could.  I  didn't 
really  do  it,  but  in  my  heart  everything  was  transformed  into 
just  what  you  could  have  wished  for;  every  thing  has  dis- 
appeared from  it,  except  you. 

Victor  Karenin. 
Everything? 

Liza. 

Everything,  everything!    I  would  not  say  so  if  it  were  not  true. 


88  THE    LIVING    CORPSE. 

SCENE   III. 
Karenin,  Lisa,  nurse  with  the  baby,  and  lackey. 

Lackey. 
Mr.  Voznesensky. 

Victor  Karenin. 
There  he  is,  with  a  reply  from  Fedya. 

Liza. 
(To  Karenin.)     Let  him  come  in  here. 

Victor  Karenin. 

(Rises  and  goes  to  the  door.)     There  he  is  with  an  answer. 

Liz/ 

(Gives  the  child  to  the  nurse  and  goes  out.)     Is  it  really  all 
coming  to  an  end,  Victor? 


SCENE   IV. 

Karenin,  Lisa  and  Voznesensky  (enters.) 

Victor  Karenin. 

Well? 

Voznesensky. 
He  was  not  in. 

Victor  Karenin. 
What  do  you  mean?     And  he  has  not  signed  the  application? 

Voznesensky. 
The  application  is  not  signed,  but  he  left  a  letter  addressed 


THE    LIVING   CORPSE. 


89 


to  you  and  Elizaveta  Andreevna.  (Takes  a  letter  out  of  his 
pocket.)  I  reached  the  house;  they  told  me  he  was  at  the  inn. 
I  went  there.  Then  Fedor  Vasilyevitch  told  me  to  come  back 
in  an  hour  when  I  would  find  the  answer  ready.    I  came,  and 

Victor  Karenin. 

Another  delay?    New  excuses?     No,  that's  simply  base!     How 
low  he  has  fallen ! 

Liza. 
But  read,  see  what  the  letter  says! 

Victor  Karenin. 
(Opens  the  letter.)^ 

VOZNESENSKY. 

You  don't  need  me? 

Victor  Karenin. 

Yes, — no,  good-bye.     Thank  you.     (Stops  reading  with  a  look 
of  astonishment  on  his  face.     Vozncsensky  goes  out.) 


SCENE   V. 

Karenin  and  Lisa. 

"Liza. 
What  is  it,  what? 

Victor  Karenin. 
It's  terrible ! 

Liza. 

(Seizes  the  letter.)     Read! 

Victor  Karenin. 
(Reads.)     "Liza  and  Victor,  I  am  addressing  this  to  you  both. 


go  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

I  will  not  lie  by  calling  you  dear  or  beloved.     I  cannot  overcome 

a  certain  feeling  of  bitterness  and  reproach — reproach  towards 

myself,  which  is  none  the  less  tormenting — when  I  think  of  you, 

your   love,   your  happiness.     I   know    everything.     I    know   that 

'    although  I  am  the  husband,  circumstances  have  brought  it  about 

that  I  was  really  in  your  way.     C'est  moi,  qui  suis  I'intrus.     Just 

I  the  same,   I   cannot   refrain    from   a    feeling  of   resentment   and 

'  coolness  towards  you.     Theoretically  I  love  you  both,  especially 

;    Liza,  my  dear  Liza,  but   in   reality   my   feelings  are  more  than 

i    cool.     I  know  I'm  in  the  wrong,  but  I  cannot  change  myself. 

Liza. 
How  could  he 

Victor  Karenin. 

{Continues  to  read.)  "But  to  the  point!  This  very  feeling 
that  is  dividing  me  against  myself  forces  me  to  carry  out  your 
wish  in  a  manner  different  from  the  one  you  wished  for.  To  lie, 
to  play  base  comedy  by  bribing  the  consistory,  to  face  all  that 
meanness  is  disgusting  to  me.  As  mean  as  I  may  be,  my  mean- 
ness is  of  a  different  kind,  and  I  can  take  no  part  in  this  baseness, 
I  simply  cannot  do  it.  Another  solution  which  presents  itself  to 
me  is  much  simpler.  You  have  to  get  married  to  be  happy.  I 
am  in  the  way,  therefore  I  have  to  destroy  myself. 

Liza. 

(Grasps  Karenin  by  the  hand.)     Victor! 

Victor  Karenin. 

(Reads  on.)  have  to  destroy  myself.  And  so  I  am  de- 
stroying myself.  When  you  receive  this  letter  I  shall  be  no 
more. 

P.  S.  I  am  very  sorry  you  sent  me  that  money  for  the  trial. 
It  was  indelicate  and  not  at  all  like  you.  But  what's  to  be 
done?  I  was  mistaken  so  many  times,  so  you,  too,  may  be  mis- 
taken once.  The  money  will  be  returned  to  you.  My  solution 
is  more  brief,  cheaper  and  surer.  I  beg  one  thing  of  you,  don't 
be  angry  with  me,  and  hold  me  in  kind  memory.  One  thing 
more.  There's  a  watch-maker.  Evgenyev;  can't  you  do  some- 
thing for  him  to  put  him  on  his  feet?  He  is  a  weak  but  kind- 
hearted  man.     Good-bye,  Fedya." 


Liza. 

He  has  killed  himself!     But 


4 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  gi 

Victor  Karenin. 
(Rings,  runs  into  the  hall.)     Call  back  Voznesensky ! 

Liza. 
I  knew  it,  I  knew  it !    Fedya,  dear  Fedya ! 

Victor  Karenin. 

Liza! 

Liza. 

It's  not  true,  no,  it  isn't  true  that  I  didn't  love  him;  that  T 
don't  love  him  now !  I  love  no  one  but  him !  I  do !  And  I 
ruined  him!     Leave  me!     (Vostiescnsky  enters.) 


SCENE   VL 

Karenin,  Lisa,  and   Voznesensky. 

Victor  Karenin. 
Where  is  Feodor  Vasilyevich?     What  did  they  tell  you? 

Voznesensky. 

They   said  he   went  out   in  the  morning,   left  this   letter   and 
didn't  return  any  more. 

Victor  Karenin. 
That  has  to  be  investigated.    Liza,  I  leave  you. 

Liza. 

Forgive  me,  but  I  too  cannot  lie.     Leave  me  now.     Go,  find 
out 

{Curtain.) 


A.CT  V 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  95 


TABLEAU  I 

A  dirty  room  in  an  inn.  Around  the  tables  sit  several  people 
who  are  drinking  tea  and  whiskey.  In  the  foreground  is  a  small 
table  at  which  Fedya  is  seated,  looking  wasted  and  tattered;  with 
him  is  Petushkov,  a  gentle,  attentive  person,  with  long  hair,  of 
a  clerical  aspect.    Both  are  a  little  tipsy. 


SCENE  I. 

Fedya  and  Petushkov. 

Petushkov. 

I  understand,  I  understand.  There's  real  love  for  you!  Well, 
and  what  happened? 

Fedya. 

You  see,  if  these  feelings  had  manifested  themselves  in  a  girl 
of  our  circle,  if  one  of  them  had  sacrificed  everything  for  the 
man  she  loved — but  she  was  a  gipsy,  brought  up  on  greed,  and 
yet  capable  of  such  pure,  self-sacrificing  love.  She  gave  up  every- 
thing and  asked  nothing  in  return.  An  exceptional  contrast  that 
is  especially  remarkable. 

Petushkov. 

Yes,  that  is  what  we  call  tone-value  in  painting.  One  may  use 
a  bright  red  only  when  there  is  green  all  around.  But  that's 
not  it.     I  understand.     I  do. 

Fedya. 

Yes,  and  I  believe  the  one  good  act  I  have  to  my  credit  is 
not  to  have  taken  advantage  of  her  love.    And  do  you  know  why? 

Petushkov. 
Out  of  pity? 

Fedya. 
Oh,  no.     I  did  not  have  any  pity  for  her.     I  always  felt  en- 


96  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

raptured  in  her  presence,  and  when  she  sang,  ah,  how  she  sang! 
She  is  probably  singing  now,  too.  I  always  used  to  look  up  to 
her.  I  did  not  ruin  hc"  simply  because  I  loved  her,  loved  her 
truly.  And  now  all  that  remains  a  wonderfully  glorious  memory 
with  me.     {Drinks.) 

Petushkov. 
That's  it.     I  understand,  I  do.     It  was  ideal. 

Fedya. 

|v^  Let  me  tell  you :  I  have  had  infatuations,  and  once  I  fell  in 
/  love  with  a  great  lady,  a  beauty;  I  was  jn  love  with  her.  in  a 
/  jnean,  dog-hke  way;  she  made  an  appointment  with  me  and  I 
I  Jidn't  appear,  because  I  thought  it  mean  towards  her  husband; 
J  and  to  this  very  day,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  whenever  I  think 
I  of  it,  I  try  to  feel  pleased  and  to  praise  myself  for  having  acted 
honorably ;  but  instead  of  that,  I  simply  regret  it,  as  one  regrets 
his  sins.  But  when  it  comes  to  Masha,  I  feel  just  the  opposite 
way.  I'm  always  glad,  very  glad,  that  I  didn't  in  any  way  pollute 
that  feeling  of  mine  for  her.  I  may  fall  still  lower,  I  may  perish 
altogether,  I  may  sell  all  I  have,  become  filthy  and  diseased,  but 
this  jewel,  no,  not  jewel,  but  ray  of  sunshine,  yes — will  always 
be  within  me,  always  with  me. 

Petushkov. 
I  understand.     I  understand.     But  where  is  she  now? 

Fedya. 

I  don't  know,  and  I  don't  care.  That  all  belongs  to  another 
life,  and  I  don't  want  to  mingle  it  with  this  one. 

(From  the  tabic  in  the  rear  a  woman's  screams  are  heard. 
The  innkeeper  and  a  policeman  go  over;  several  people  are  led 
azvay.     Fedya  and  Petushkov  look  on,  listening  silently.) 

Petushkov. 

(After  quiet  has  been  restored.)  Yes,  you  have  led  a  remark- 
able life. 

Fedya. 

y       No,  it's  a  very  simple  one.     In  our  circle,  the  one  in  which  I 

^  was  born,  we  have  but  three   courses  to  choose   from — and  no 

\more  than  three.     One  is  to  enter  the  service,  to  make  moneyj 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  57 

to  increase  the  natiness  in  the  midst  of  which  we  live.  That 
disgusted  me;  perhaps  I  didn't  know  how  to  do  it,  but  the  main 
thing  was, — that  it  was  disgusting  to  me.  The  second  choice 
is  to  destroy  that  nastiness ;  but  for  that  one  has  to  be  a  hero, 
and  I'm  not  a  hero.  There  remains  the  third  choice ;  to  forget 
oneself, — to  drink,  frolic,  sing;  which  is  what  I  did,  and  this 
is  the  state  I  have  sung  myself  into.     {Drinks.)  >s,^ 

Petushkov. 

Well,  what  about  your  home  life?  I  could  be  happy  if  I  had 
a  wife.     My  wife  is  the  one  who  ruined  me. 

Fedya. 

Home  life?  Yes.  My  wife  was  an  ideal  woman.  She  is  still 
alive.  But  what  shall  I  say?  There  was  no  spice  to  her.  You 
know  how  necessary  spice  is  to  give  taste  to  the  pudding.  You 
see,  there  was  no  buoyancy  to  our  life.  I  had  to  forget  myself, 
but  without  buoyancy  you  cannot  do  it.  Then  I  began  to  be 
mean;  and  you  know,  to  be  sure,  that  we  love  people  for  the 
good  we  do  them,  and  we  dislike  them  for  the  evil  we  do  them. 
And  I  caused  her  evil.     Yet  she  seemed  to  love  me. 

Petushkov. 
Why  do  you  say  "seemed?" 

Fedya.  -^ 

I  say  that,  because  she  never  had  the  faculty  of  getting  right 
into  the  depth  of  my  soul,  as  Masha  did.  But  that  is  what  I 
wanted  to  tell  you.  She  was  with  child,  nursing,  and  I  would 
disappear  and  come  home  drunk.  Naturally,  for  that  reason 
I  loved  her  still  less.  Yes,  yes  (becomes  enraptured),  it  just 
occurred  to  me;  the  reason  I  love  Masha  is  because  I  treated 
her  with  kindness  and  not  with  harshness.  That's  why  I  love 
her.  But  the  other  one  I  tormented,  and  for  that  reason — it  isn't 
exactly  that  I  didn't  love  her — well,  I  simply  didn't  love  her.  I 
was  jealous,  it's  true,  but  that  too  has  passed  away.  < 


1 


SCENE    II. 

Fedya,  Petushkov,  and  Artemyev. 

Artemyev  approaches;  zvears  a  uniform  cap,  his  moustache  is 
dyed,  his  ancient  clothes  are  fixed  up. 


98  THE  LIVING   CORPSE. 

Artemyev. 

Here's  a  good  appetite  to  you!  (Bows  to  Fedya.)  I  see  you 
have  become  acquainted  with  the  artist. 

Fedya. 
(Cooly.)     Yes,  we're  acquainted. 

Artemyev. 
(To  Petuskkov.)     Well,  have  you  finished  the  portrait? 

Petushkov. 
No,  it  didn't  come  out  well. 

Artemyev. 
(Sits  down.)     I  hope  I'm  not  intruding. 

(Fedya  and  Petushkov  keep  silent.) 

Petushkov. 
Feodor  Vasilyevich  was  telling  me  about  his  life. 

Artemyev. 

Secrets?  Don't  let  me  interrupt  you;  go  right  on — I  certainly 
don't  need  you.     Pigs ! 

(Goes  to  the  next  table  and  orders  beer.  Through  all  that 
foUozvs  he  listens  to  the  conversation  between  Fedya  and  Petush- 
kov, leaning  over  towards  them.) 

Fedya. 
I  don't  like  that  fellow. 

Petushkov. 

He  took  offense  at  us. 

Fedya. 

Well,  that  can't  be  helped.  T  can't  endure  him.  He's  the  sort 
of  man  in  whose  presence  I  am  without  words.  With  you,  you 
see,  I  feel  at  ease,  at  home.     What  was  it  I  was  talking  about? 


THE  LIVING  CORPSE. 


Petushkov. 


99 


You  were  saying  you  had  been  jealous.     Well,  and  how  did 
you  happen  to  part  with  your  wife? 

Fedya. 

Ah!     (Becomes    thoughtful.)      That    is    a    remarkable    story. 
My  wife  is  married 

Petushkov. 
How's  that?    Did  you  divorce  her? 

Fedya. 
No!     (Smiling.)     She  was  widowed. 


Petushkov. 
What  do  you  mean  ? 

Fedya. 
I  mean  what  I  say;  she  was  widowed.    You  see,  I  don't  exist. 


How  can  that  be? 


Petushkov. 


Fedya. 


I  don't  exist.  I'm  a  corpse.  Yes.  (Artemyev  leans  over,  list- 
ening intently.)  Well,  to  you  I  suppose  I  may  tell  it.  It  is  a 
matter  of  the  remote  past,  and  you  don't  even  know  my  real 
name.  It  was  like  this:  When  I  had  finished  tormenting  my 
wife,  had  squandered  every  thing  I  could  lay  my  hands  on,  and 
became  unendurable,  a  protector  of  hers  appeared  on  the  scene. 
Don't  think  there  was  anything  nasty  or  bad  about  it— no,  he 
was  a  friend  of  mine,  a  good,  a  very  good  man,  only  the  very 
opposite  of  me  in  every  respect,  and  since  there's  much  more  of 
the  bad  than  of  the  good  in  me,  he  always  was  and  is  now  a  very 
good  man ;  honest,  firm,  temperate,  in  a  word,  thoroughly  virtu- 
ous. He  knew  my  wife  from  her  very  childhood,  he  had  loved 
her,  and  when  she  married  me,  he  resigned  himself  to  his  fate. 
But  later,  when  I  grew  abusive,  when  I  began  to  torment  her, 
he  began  to  call  on  us  more  often.  I  myself  wished  him  to  do  it, 
and  they  fell  in  love  with  each  other;  I  had,  however,  by  that 
time  lost  all  self-respect,  and,  of  my  own  accord,  deserted  my 
wife.     Besides,  there  was   Masha.     I  myself  suggested  to  them 


loo  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

that  they  should  get  married.     They  didn't  want  to,  but  I  be- 
came more  and  more  unbearable,  and  the  end  of  it  all  was 


Petushkov. 
The  usual  one. 

Fedya. 

No,  I  am  sure  that  their  relations  have  always  been  pure.  He 
is  a  religious  person,  he  would  consider  marriage  without  the 
sanction  of  the  church  a  sin.  Well,  they  began  to  demand  a 
divorce  and  to  urge  me  to  consent  to  it.  It  meant  that  I  should 
take  the  guilt  upon  myself,  that  I  should  do  all  the  lying — and 
that  I  couldn't  do.  Will  you  believe  me,  I  would  have  found  it 
easier  to  commit  suicide  than  to  lie.  And  I  was  all  ready  to  put 
an  end  to  everything,  but  at  the  last  moment  a  kind  friend  said 
to  me,  "Why  should  you  do  it?"  And  we  arranged  it  all.  I  sent 
a  farewell  letter,  and  on  the  following  day  they  found  on  the 
shore  my  clothes,  pocket-book  and  letters.    I  can't  swim,  you  see. 

Petushkov. 
But  how  about  the  body?     Didn't  they  ever  find  it? 

Fedya. 

They  did;  just  imagine — a  week  later  some  sort  of  a  body  was 
found.  My  wife  was  called  to  identify  it.  The  body  was  in  a 
state  of  decay;  she  looked  at  it.  "Is  that  he?"  "Yes.  it's  he." 
And  that  ended  it.  I  was  buried,  they  were  married,  and  are 
living  here  in  prosperity.  And  I — well,  here  you  see  me !  T 
live  and  drink.  I  passed  by  their  house  yesterday.  The  windows 
were  lighted  up,  someone's  shadow  was  thrown  on  one  of  the 
window  shades.  Sometimes  I  feel  rather  sad,  but  at  other  times 
it  doesn't  trouble  me.  I  feel  sad  when  I  haven't  any  money 
(Drmks.) 

Artemyev. 

(Goes  over.)  You  must  excuse  me,  but  I  heard  your  story. 
It's  a  very  good  story,  and  especially  a  useful  one.  You  say 
you  feel  badly  when  you  have  no  money.  Nothing  can  be  worse 
than  that.  But  you,  in  your  position,  should  always  have  money. 
You're  a  corpse,  you  say.     Very  well 

Fedya. 

Excuse  me,  but  I  didn't  tell  my  story  to  you,  and  I  don't  want 
your  advice. 


THE  LIVING   CORPSE.  loi 

Artemyev. 

But  I  want  to  give  it  to  you.  You're  a  corpse;  but  suppose 
you  should  be  resurrected,  then  what  will  they  turn  out  to  be, 
your  wife  and  that  gentleman,  those  two  who  are  prospering? 
They  will  be  bigamists,  and  in  the  best  case  will  be  asked  to 
proceed  to  the  less  remote  parts  of  Siberia.  Then,  why  should 
you  be  short  of  money? 

Fedya. 
I  ask  you  to  leave  me  alone. 

Artemyev. 

All  you  have  to  do  is  to  write  a  letter.  If  you  want  me  to, 
I  will  write  it  for  you ;  only  give  me  their  address,  and  you  will 
thank  me  for  it. 

Fedya. 
Go  away!    Was  I  talking  to  you?    I  didn't  say  anything  to  you. 

Artemyev. 

You  certainly  did.  This  man  is  a  witness.  The  waiter  also 
heard  you  say  you  were  a  corpse. 

Waiter. 
I  don't  know  anything  about  it,  if  you  please. 

Fedya. 
(To  Artemyev.)     Scoundrel! 

Artemyev. 

You  call  me  a  scoundrel?  Police!  Police!  We'll  have  this 
recorded.  {Fedya  rises  to  go  out.  Artemyev  holds  him  back. 
A  policeman  appears.) 


102  THE  LIVING  CORPSE. 


TABLEAU  II 

The  action  takes  place  in  the  country,  on  a  piazza  overgrown 
with  ivy. 


SCENE    I. 


Anna  Dmitrievna  Karenina,  Liza  (pregnant) ,  the  nurse  with 
the  boy. 

Liza. 
By  this  time  he  is  already  leaving  the  station. 

Boy. 
Who's  coming? 

Liza. 

Papa. 

Boy. 
Papa  is  leaving  the  station ! 

Liza. 

C'est  e'tonnant  comme  il  I'aime,  tout-a-fait  comme  son  pere. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 
Tant  mieux.     Se  souvient-il  de  son  pere  veritable? 

Liza. 

(Sighing.)  I  don't  ever  speak  of  him  to  the  child.  I  always 
think,  why  should  I  confuse  him?  Then  again  I  think  that  I 
ought  to  tell   it  to  him.     What   do  you  think,   mamma? 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

I  think,  Liza,  that  it  depends  just  on  how  one  feels  about  it, 
and  if  you  will  leave  it  to  your  feelings,  your  heart  v/ill  tell 
you  what  you  should  say  and  when  to  say  it.  What  a  wonderful 
conciliator  death  is!     I  admit  that  there  was  once  a  time  when 


THE    LIVING   CORPSE.  103 

Fedya — I  knew  him  when  he  was  a  child,  you  know — was  un- 
welcome to  me,  but  now  1  only  remember  him  as  a  lovely  youth, 
a  friend  of  Victor's,  as  that  passionate  person  who,  even  though 
it  was  unlawful  and  irreligious,  sacrificed  himself   for  those  he 

loved.     On  aura  beau  dire,  Faction  est  belle I  hope  Victor 

will  not  forget  to  bring  home  some  yarn,  I'm  almost  all  out  of 
it.      (^Continues  knitting.) 

Liza. 
I  hear  him  coming. 

(The  sound  of  wheels  and  bells  is  heard.    Lisa  rises  and  goes 
to  the  end  of  the  piazza.) 

Liza. 

There's  some  one  with  him ;  a  lady  with  a  hat  on.    It's-mamma! 
I  haven't  seen  her  for  an  age!     (Goes  to  the  door.) 


SCENE    IL 


Lisa,  Anna  Dmitrieivna,  the  nurse  with  the  child.  Karenin 
and  Anna  Pavlovna. 

Ann.\  Pavlovna. 

(Embraces  Liza  and  Anna  Dmitrievna.)  Victor  met  me  and 
carried  me  off  with  him. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

He  certainly  did  well. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Yes,  of  course.  I  thought  to  myself:  when  will  I  get  a  chance 
to  see  them?  I  always  keep  postponing  my  visit.  So  here_  I 
am  to  stay — if  you  will  not  drive  me  out — till  the  evening  train. 

Victor  Karenin. 

(Embraces  his  wife,  his  mother,  and  the  child.)  If  you  only 
knew  how  happy  I  am !  You  may  congratulate  me.  T  have  two 
days'  leave.  To-morrow  they  will  attend  to  everjthing  without 
me. 

Liza. 

Splendid !  Two  whole  days !  You  haven't  had  that  much  for 
a  long  time.    We'll  take  a.  ride  down  to  the  hermitage.     Yes? 


104  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

What  a  resemblance !  What  a  fine  youngster !  I  only  hope  he 
will  not  inherit  everything.     His  father's  heart 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

But  not  his  weaknesses. 

Liza. 

Everything,  everything!  Victor  agrees  with  me  that  if  only 
he  had  been  properly  guided  m  his  youth 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Well,  I  don't  understand  anything  of  that.  I  simply  can't 
think  of  him  without  tears. 

Liza. 
So  it  is  with  us.    How  his  image  has  grown  in  our  memory! 

Anna  Pavlovna. 

Yes,  I  should  say  so. 

Liz.\. 

How  hopeless  it  all  seemed  at  one  time.  And  how  everything 
was  solved  all  at  once. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 
Well,  Victor,  did  you  bring  me   some  yarn? 

Victor  Karenin. 

I  did,  I  did.  (Goes  to  his  bag  and  takes  out  several  packages.) 
Here's  your  yarn,  here  is  the  cologne  water,  here  are  some  letters, 
and  here  is  an  official  envelope  addressed  to  you.  (Handing  it  to 
his  zvife.)  Well,  Anna  Pavlovna,  if  you  want  to  use  the  wash- 
room, I'll  show  you  the  way.  I  have  to  fix  up  a  bit  too,  for 
dinner  will  be  ready  soon.  Liza,  I'll  show  Anna  Pavlovna  to 
the  lower  side-room,  shall  I  not? 

Liza. 
(Pale,   holds   tke   letter   zuith   shivering   hands,  and   reads.) 


THE  LIVING  CORPSE.  los 

Victor  Karen  in. 
What  is  the  matter  with  you,  Liza,  what  is  it? 

Liza. 

He's  alive!  My  God!  When  will  he  at  last  set  me  free? 
Victor!     What  does  it  all  mean?     (Sobbing.) 

Victor  Karenin. 
{Takes  the  paper  and  reads.)     This  is  terrible! 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 
What  is  it?     Speak! 

Victor  Karenin. 

This  is  terrible.  He  is  alive,  she  is  a  bigamist,  and  I  am  a 
criminal.  This  is  a  paper  from  the  prosecuting  attorney  who 
demands  Liza's  presence  in  court. 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 
What  a  wicked  man!     Why  did  he  do  it? 

Victor  Karenin. 
It  was  all  a  lie,  a  lie! 

Liza. 

Oh,   how    I    hate   him !     I    don't   know   what   I'm    saying 

(Leaves  in  tears.    Karenin  follows  her.) 


SCENE  in. 

Anna  Dmitrievna  and  Anna  Pavlovna. 

Anna  Pavlovna. 
How  did  he  manage  to  remain  alive? 

Anna  Dmitrievna. 

I  only  know  that  the  moment  Victor  came  in  contact  with  that 
world  of  filth.  I  said  it  would  drag  him  down.  And  now  it  has 
happened.     It's  all  deception,  all  lies ! 

(Curtain.) 


I 


ACT  VI 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  109 


TABLEAU   I 

Office  of  the  Prosecuting  Attorney,  who  is  sitting  behind  the 
table,  and  converses  with  Meljnikov.  Near  them  the  clerk  is 
sorting  papers. 


SCENE   I. 
Prosecuting  Attorney,  Meljnikov,  and  the  clerk. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

I  never  told  her  that.  She  made  it  all  up,  and  now  she  blames 
me  for  it. 

Meljnikov. 
She  doesn't  blame  anyone,  but  she  is  grieving  over  it 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Very  well,  then,  I'll  come  for  dinner.  And  now  we  come  to 
a  very  interesting  case.     Show  them  in. 

Clerk. 
Both  of  them? 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

(Stops  smoking  and  hides  his  cigarette.)  No,  only  Madame 
Karenin,  or,  to  be  more  accurate,  Madame  Protasov,  by  her 
first  husband's  name. 

Meljnikov. 
(Leaving.)     Oh,  it's  that  Madame  Karenin. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Yes.  A  nasty  case.  To  be  sure,  I'm  only  beginning  the  investi- 
gation, but  it  looks  bad.    Well,  good-bye.     (Meljnikov  goes  out.) 


110  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 


SCENE    II. 

Prosecuting  Attorney,  clerk,  and  Liza.  {Enters  heavily  veiled, 
all  in  black.) 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Be  seated,  please.  (Showing  her  to  a  chair.)  Believe  me,  I 
very  much  regret  the  necessity  of  questioning  you,  but  the  condi- 
tions necessitate  it Please  compose  yourself,  and  know  that 

you  may  refuse  to  answer  certain  of  the  questions,  if  you  so 
desire.  Only  my  opinion  is  that  it's  best  for  you,  and  for  all 
concerned,  to  tell  the  truth.  That's  always  better  and  more  prac- 
tical. 

Liza. 
I  have  nothing  to  conceal. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

(Looking  at  the  paper.)  Your  name,  station,  and  religion—, 
that's  all  down  here,  isn't  it? 

Liza. 
Yes. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

You  are  accused  of  having  married  another  man,  knowing  that 
your  husband  was  alive. 

Liza. 
I  didn't  know  it. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Also,  of  having  persuaded  your  husband,  by  bribing  him,  to 
practice  deception,  to  pretend  to  have  committed  suicide,  with 
a  view  towards  getting  rid  of  him. 

Liza. 

All  that  is  not  true. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Then  permit  me  to  ask  you  a  few  questions.  Did  you  send 
him  money,  twelve  hundred  roubles,  in  July  of  last  year? 


THE    LIVING   CORPSE.  Ill 


Liza. 


That  money  belonged  to  him.  I  procured  it  by  selling  his 
belongings.  And  during  the  period  following  our  separation, 
when  I  was  waiting  for  a  divorce,  I  sent  it  to  him. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

I  see  that  very  well.  That  money  was  sent  on  the  17th  of  July, 
two  days  before  his  disappearance? 

Liza. 

I  think  it  was  on  the  17th  of  July;  I  don't  remember. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

And  when  the  police  asked  you  to  inspect  the  dead  body, 
how  was  it  that  you  identified  it  as  your  husband's? 

Liza. 

I  was  so  excited  at  the  time  being  that  I  didn't  look  at  the 
body,  and  I  was  so  sure  that  it  was  his,  that  when  they  asked  me 
I  answered:     I  think  it's  his. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Yes,  you  didn't  examine  it  closely  on  account  of  your  excite- 
ment, which  we  can  well  imagine.  Very  well.  And  now.  permit 
me  to  ask  you,  why  was  money  sent  every  month  to  Saratov, 
to  the  very  city  where  your  first  husband  was  living? 

Liza. 

That  money  was  sent  by  my  husband,  and  I  cannot  tell  you 
anything  about  its  destination,  since  I  knew  nothing  about  it. 
Only  it  was  not  sent  to  Feodor  Vasilyevich.  We  were  perfectly 
sure  that  he  no  longer  existed.     That  I  can  tell  you  definitely. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 
Very  well.  Let  me  point  out  one  thing  to  you :  Madame — 
we  are  the  servants  of  the  Law,  but  that  doesn't  prevent  us  from 
being  human.  Believe  me,  therefore,  that  I  fully  understand  your 
position  and  sympathize  with  you.  You  were  tied  down  to  a 
man  who  spent  your  fortune,  betrayed  you,  in  a  word,  caused 
unhappiness  to 

Liza. 
I  loved  him. 


112  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Yes,  but  nevertheless,  you  had  the  natural  desire  to  be  free 
from  him,  and  you  chose  this  simple  means,  not  realizing  that  it 
would  lead  to  what  is  considered  a  crime — bigamy — I  can  under- 
stand that.  And  the  judges  too  will  understand  it.  Therefore, 
I  should  advise  you  to  make  a  clean  breast  of  it. 

Liza. 

But  I  have  nothing  to  confess.  I  never  lied.  (Weeps.)  Do 
you  need  me  any  longer? 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

I  should  like  to  have  you  stay  another  while.  I  shall  not 
trouble  you  any  more  with  questions.  Only  read  this,  please,  and 
sign  it.  Here's  the  cross-examination.  Are  your  answers  put 
down  correctly?  Right  here,  please.  (Points  to  a  chair  at  the 
window.)     {fa  the  clerk.)     Call  Mr.  Karenin. 


SCENE    III. 


The   prosecuting   attorney,    the   clerk,   Liza.     Karenin   enters. 
(seriously,  solemnly.) 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 
Be  seated,  please. 

Victor  Karenin. 
Thank  you.     (Remains  standing.)     What  do  you  want? 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 
I  am  obliged  to  cross-examine  you. 

Victor  Karenin. 
In  what  capacity? 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

(Smiling.)     In  my  capacity  of  prosecuting  attorney;  and  you 
are  to  be  cross-examined  in  the  capacity  of  defendant. 


THE    LIVING    CORPSE.  113 

Victor  Karenin. 
How  is  that?     With  regard  to  what? 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

With  regard  to  having  married  a  married  woman.     Permit  me, 
however,  to  put  the  questions  in  the  usual  order.     Be  seated. 

Victor  Karenin. 
Thank  you. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 
Your  name? 

Victor  Karenin. 
Victor  Karenin. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 
Station? 

Victor  Karenin. 
Cavalier,  councillor  of  state. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 
Age? 

Victor  Karenin. 
Thirty-eight  years  old.  > 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 
Faith? 

Victor  Karenin. 
Greek-Orthodox.    Never  was  tried  or  convicted  before.    Well? 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Did  you  know   that   Feodor   Vasilyevich    Protasov   was   alive 
when  you  married  his  wife? 


114  THE   LIVING    CORPSE. 

Victor  Karenin. 

I  did  not  know  it.  We  were  both  convinced  that  he  was 
drowned. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

To  whom,  then,  were  you  sending  money  each  month  to  Sara- 
tov, after  the  false  reports  of  Protasov's  death? 

Victor  Karenin. 
I  refuse  to  answer  this  question. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Very  well.  What  was  your  purpose  in  sending  money,  twelve 
hundred  roubles,  to  Mr.  Protasov,  just  before  his  alleged  death. 
July  17? 

Victor  Karenin. 
That  money  was  given  to  me  by  my  wife. 

Prosecuting  Attorney, 
By  Mme,  Protasov? 

Victor  Karenin. 

by  my  wife,  to  be  sent  to  her  husband.     That  money  she 

considered  his  property  and  having  broken  off  her  connections 
with  him,  she  considered  it  unfair  to  keep  it. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

One  more  question,  please.  Why  did  you  abandon  your  action 
for   divorce. 

Victor  Karenin. 

Because  Feodor  Vasilyevich  took  that  matter  upon  himself 
and  informed  me  of  it  in  a  letter. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 
Have  you  that  letter? 

Victor  Karenin. 
The  letter  is  lost. 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  US 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

How  strange  that  everything  that  might  tend  to  convince  the 
court  of  the  validity  of  your  testimony  is  either  lost  or  absent. 

Victor  Karenin. 
Anything  else  you  need? 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

I  don't  need  anything  except  to  fulfil  my  duty,  but  you  need 
to  clear  yourself,  and  I  just  advised  Mme."  Protasov  and  should 
advise  you  to  do  the  same:  Not  to  hide  what  is  self-evident  and 
to  tell  everything,  just  as  it  happened,  all  the  more  so  since  Mr. 
Protasov  is  in  such  a  state  that  he  has  already  disclosed  every- 
thing, and  will,  probably,  testify  to  the  same  things  before  the 
court.     I  should  advise 

Victor  Karenin. 

I  should  like  to  ask  you  to  confine  yourself  to  the  limits  of  your 
duties  and  refrain  from  giving  us  advice.  May  we  go?  (Ap- 
proaches Liza.    She  rises  and  takes  liim  by  the  hand.) 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

I  am  very  sorry  to  have  to  detain  you.  (Karenin  turns  around 
in  surprise.)  Oh,  no,  I  don't  mean  that  you  are  under  arrest. 
Although  it  would  have  been  better  for  the  establishment  of  the 
truth,  I  shall  not  take  recourse  to  that  measure.  I  should  only 
like  to  cross-examine  Protasov  in  your  presence  and  bring  you 
face  to  face  with  him  when  you  will  have  a  better  chance  to 
contradict  him.  Please  be  seated.  (To  the  clerk)  Call  Mr.  "s/ 
Protasov. 


SCENE   IV. 


The  prosecuting  attorney,  the  clerk,  Lisa,  Karenin.  Fedya* 
enters,  dirty  and  ragged. 

Fedya. 

(Turning  to  Lisa  and  Karenin.)  Liza,  Elizaveta  Andreeyna, 
Victor — It's  not  my  fault.  T  meant  to  do  better.  And  if  it  is 
my  fault — forgive  me,  forgive  me.     (Bows  very  low  before  them.) 


ii6  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 
Please  answer  my  questions. 


Go  ahead. 


Your  name? 


You  know  it. 


Fedya. 


Prosecuting  Attorney. 


Fedya. 


PsosECUTiNG  Attorney. 
You'll  please  answer. 

Fedya. 
Well,  Fedor  Protasov. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 
Your  vocation,  age,  faith? 

Fedya. 

(Silent  for  a  while.)  Aren't  you  ashamed  to  ask  these  fool- 
ish questions?  Ask  what  needs  to  be  asked,  and  not  such  silly 
questions. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

I'll  have  to  ask  you  to  be  more  careful  of  what  you  say  and 
to  answer  my  questions. 

Fedya. 

Well,  if  you're  not  ashamed  of  it,  then  here  j^ou  are:  I  am 
a  bachelor  of  laws,  forty  years  old,  of  the  Greek-orthodox  faith; 
well,  what  else? 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Was  it  known  to  "Mr.  Karenin  and  your  wite  that  you  were 
alive  when  you  left  your  clothes  at  the  bank  of  the  river  and 
disappeared? 


THE   LIVING    CORPSE.  117 

Fedya. 

Certainly  not.  I  really  did  want  to  kill  myself,  but  then — 
well,  never  mind,  that  doesn't  belong  here.  The  point  is  that 
they  knew  nothing  whatsoever  about  it. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

How  is  it  that  you  testified  differently  before  the  police- 
officer  ? 

Fedya. 

What  police-officer?  Ah,  you  mean  when  he  came  to  me  at  the 
Rjanov  House?  I  was  drunk  then  and  lied  to  him — I  don't 
even  remember  what  I  said.  But  all  that  is  nonsense.  Now 
I'm  not  drunk  and  will  tell  the  whole  truth.  They  knew  nothing. 
They  believed  I  did  not  exist.  And  I  was  glad  of  it.  And  it 
would  have  remained  that  way,  if  not  for  that  rascal  Artemyev. 
If  anyone  is  guilty  it's  no  one  but  /. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

I  understand  your  desire  to  be  magnanimous,  but  the  law  de- 
mands the  truth.     Why  was  the  money  sent  to  you? 

Fedya. 
{Silent.) 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Did  you  receive  through  Simonev  the  money  that  used  to  be 
sent  to  you  to  Saratov? 

Fedya. 
(Silent.) 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Why  don't  you  answer?  It  will  go  down  on  record  that  the 
defendant  refused  to  answer  these  questions,  which  may  do  very 
much  harm  to  you  as  well  as  to  them.     Well  then? 

Fedya. 

(Silent;  after  a  while.)  Ah,  your  Honor,  aren't  you  ashamed 
of  yourself?  Why  are  you  intrudinsf  into  other  people's_  lives? 
You  are  glad  you  are  in  power,  and  in  order  to  show  it,  you 


ii8  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

torture,  though  not  physically,  yet  mentally,   people  who   are  a 
thousand  times  better  than  you  are. 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

I   ask  you 

Fedya. 

You  needn't  take  the  trouble.  I  shall  say  all  I  have  on  my 
mind.  (To  the  clerk.)  And  you  may  take  it  down.  At  least 
there  will  for  once  be  sensible  human  statements  in  your  records. 
(Raising  his  voice.)  Three  people  are  living:  I,  he,  and  she. 
The  relations  between  us  are  complicated — it's  a  struggle  be- 
tween the  good  and  the  evil,  a  spiritual  struggle  of  wliich  you 
have  no  conception.  That  struggle  ends  in  a  certain  situation 
that  solves  everything.  All  are  content.  They  are  happy.  They 
cherish  my  memory.  I  am  happy  in  my  downfall,  at  the  thought 
of  having  done  what  was  my  duty — that  I,  a  good-for-nothing, 
passed  out  of  this  life  so  as  not  to  be  in  the  way  of  those  who 
are  full  of  life  and  of  goodness.  And  we  are  all  living.  Sud- 
denly a  scoundrel  appears,  a  black-mailer,  who  demands  that  I 
should  take  a  hand  in  a  blackmailing  scheme.  I  drive  him  away. 
He  goes  to  you,  the  champions  of  justice,  the  guardians  of 
morality.  And  you,  receiving  a  few  pennies  on  the  twentieth 
of  each  month  for  your  nasty  job,  don  your  uniform,  and  with 
an  easy  conscience  abuse  these  people,  whose  little  finger  is 
worth  more  than  you  are,  who  would  not  even  let  you  step 
into  their  hall-way.  But  you  have  reached  your  aim  and  are 
glad 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 

I  shall  have  you  led  out  of  the  room. 

Fedya. 

I  am  not  afraid  of  anyone,  for  I'm  a  corpse,  and  you  can  do 
nothing  with  me :  there  is  no  position  worse  than  my  present  one. 
Go  ahead  and  tell  them   to   lead   me   out. 

Victor  Karenin. 
May  we  go? 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 
In  a  moment,  after  you  will  have  signed  the  record. 

Fedya. 
How  ridiculous  you  would  be,  if  you  were  not  so  nasty! 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  119 

Prosecuting  Attorney. 
Lead  him  way.     You  are   under  arrest. 

Fedya. 
{To  Karenin  and  Liza.)     I  beg  your  forgiveness. 

Victor  Karenin. 

{Goes  over  and  shakes  hands  with  him.)     It  evidently  had  to 
come   to   pass ! 

{Liza  passes  by.     Fedya   bows  low.) 

{Curtain.) 


TABLEAU   II 


A  corridor  of  the  district  court-house.  In  the  background  is 
a  glass  door  at  which  the  sergcant-at-arms  is  stationed.  Nearer 
to  the  right  is  another  door  through  which  the  accused  are  led 
in.  Ivan  Petrovich  Aleksandrov,  in  tatters,  goes  over  to  the 
first  door  and  tries  to  pass  through. 


SCENE   L 
Sergeant-at-arms  and  Ivan  Petrovich. 
Sergeant. 
Where  are  you  going?     No  admittance  here.     Did  you  ever! 

Ivan  Petrovich. 

Why  not?    The  law  says:  the  sessions  are  open  to  the  public. 
{Applause  within.) 

Sergeant. 

No  admittance  here,  that's  all.     I  have  strict  orders. 


I20  THE   LIVING   CORPSE. 

Ivan  Petrovich. 

Boor !     You  don't  know  whom  you  are  talking  to.     (A  young 
lawyer  in  a   dress-suit   comes   out.) 


SCENE    II. 

Sergeant-at-arms,  Ivan  Petrovich  and  the  young  lawyer. 

Young  Lawyer. 

What  is  it?    Are  you  here  on  business? 

Ivan  Petrovich. 

No.  but  I  am  the  public.    And  this  boor,  this  Cerberus,  doesn't 
want  to  let  me  in. 

Young  Lawyer. 

.But  this  is  not  the  place  for  the  public. 

Ivan  Petrovich. 

I  know  it,  but  I  am  different  from  anybody  else. 

Young  Lawyer. 

Wait;  the  intermission  will  be  held  soon.     (Turns  to  go;  meets 
Prince  Abreskov.) 


SCENE    III. 


The   sergeant-at-arms,    Ivan    Petrovich,    the   young    lazvyer   and 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 

Permit  me  to  inquire,  how  is  the  trial  progressing? 

Young  Lawyer. 

The   lawyers   are   pleading— Petrushin    is   talking.     {More   ap- 
plause from  zvithin.) 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE  I2i 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
How  are  the  defendants  bearing  up? 

Young  Lawyer. 

They  display  considerable  self-control,  especially  Karenin  and 
Elizaveta  Andreevna.  They  make  you  feel  that  it  is  not  they 
who  are  being  judged,  but  that  they  are  the  ones  who  are  judg- 
ing society.     That  is  the  point  that  Petrushin  is  emphasizing. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
Well,  and  how  is  Protasov? 

Young  Lawyer. 

Very  much  excited.  He  is  trembling  all  over ;  but  that  was 
to  be  expected,  after  his  manner  of  living.  He  is  easily  irritated; 
several  times  he  interrupted  the  district  attorney,  as  well  as  the 
lawyers.     He's  in  a  sorry  state  of  exhaustion. 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
What  decision  do  you  expect? 

Young  Lawyer. 

It's  hard  to  foresee.  At  any  rate,  they  cannot  prove  pre- 
meditated action,  but  just  the  same (A   gentleman   comes 

out.     Prince  Abrezkov  moves  towards  the  door.)     Do  you  want 
to  go  in? 

Prince  Abrezkov. 
Yes,  I  should  like  to. 

Young  Lawyer. 

{To  the  Sergcant-at-arms.)  Admit  this  gentleman.  There's 
a  vacant  scat   right  there  on  the  left. 

{The  Ser^j,eant-at-arvis  admits  Prince  Abrezkov.  As  the  door 
is  opened,  the  lawyer  can  be  seen  pleading.) 


122  THE  LIVING  CORPSE. 

SCENE    IV. 
The  Sergeant-at-arms,  the  young  lawyer  and  Ivan  Petrovich. 

Ivan  Petrovich. 

Those   aristocrats!     I'm   an   aristocrat   of   the   mind,   which   is 
more  important. 

Young  Lawyer. 
You'll  excuse  me.     {Leaving.) 


SCENE   V. 


The  Sergeant-at-arms,  Ivan  Petrovich  and  Petushkov.     (Petush- 
kov  comes  hurrying  in.) 

Petushkov. 

Ah,  how  do  you  do,  Ivan  Petrovich?     How's  the  trial  getting 
along? 

Ivan  Petrovich. 

The  lawyers  are  still  talking.     And  they  don't  admit  anyone, 
as  you  see. 

Sergeant. 

Stop  your  noise,  there!     This  is  not  a  bar-room! 
(More  applause;  the  door  opens.     The  lawyers  and  the  spec- 
tators, both  men  and  women,  pass  out.) 


SCENE   VI. 
The  same;  a  lady  and  an  officer. 

Lady. 
Splendid !     He  actually  made  me  cry. 

Officer. 

It's  better  than  any  novel.     Only  it  is  inconceivable  how  she 
could  have  loved  him  so  much.     He's  a  terrible  specimen. 


THE    LIVING   CORPSE.  123 

SCENE   VII. 

The  same.  Another  door  opens.  The  defendants  pass  out 
and  pass  along  the  corridor:  first  Liza  and  Karenin,  and  behind 
them  Fedya,  alone. 

Lady. 

Hush!  Here  he  is!  Just  see  how  excited  he  appears!  (The 
lady  and  the  officer  pass  along.) 

Fedya. 
(Going  over  to  Ivan  Petrovich.)     Did  you  bring  it? 

Ivan  Petrovich. 
Here  it  is.     (Handing  him  something.) 

Fedya. 

(Hides  it  in  his  pocket  and  is  about  to  go;  notices  Petushkov.) 
It's  stupid,  silly !     And  tedious.     Nonsensical.     (Is  about  to  go.) 


SCENE  vin. 


The  same;  Petrushin,  the  principal  lawyer,  stout,  red-faced, 
lively,  approaches. 

Petrushin. 

Well,  my  friend,  we  have  a  good  chance,  only  don't  spoil  it 
all  in  your  final  plea. 

Fedya. 
I  won't  say  a  word.    What  shall  I  tell  them?    I  won't  do  it. 

Petrushin. 

No,  you  must!  Don't  let  yourself  get  excited.  Now,  we 
have  as  good  as  won  the  case.  You  have  only  to  tell  them  what 
you  told  me,  that  if  you  are  on  trial,  it's  only  for  not  having 
committed  suicide, — that  is,  for  not  having  done  what  is  con- 
sidered a  sin  by  the  Church  and  a  crime  by  the  law. 


124  THE  LIVING  CORPSE. 

Fedya. 
I  won't  say  a  single  word. 

Petruskin. 
Why  not? 

Fedya. 

I    simply    don't    want    to,    and    I'm    not    going   to.      Just    tell 
me  this:  what  is  the  worst  that  can  happen? 

Petrushin. 

I  have  told  you  already:  in  the  worst  case  it  may  mean  exile 
to  Siberia. 

P'edya. 

Who  do  you  mean  will  be  exiled? 

Petrushin, 
Why,  both  you  and  your  wife. 

Fedya. 
And  in  the  best  case? 

Petrushin. 

Religious  penance,  and,  of  course,  annihilation  of  the  second 
marriage. 

Fedya. 
That  means  that  they  will  again  tie  us  together. 

Petrushin. 

Why,  yes,  as  a  matter  of  course.  But  don't  let  that  excite  you. 
And  please  do  just  as  I  tell  you,  and,  above  all,  don't  say  any- 
thing  unnecessary.     However (Noticing    that   people   have 

gathered  about  them  and  are  listening.)     I  am  tired,  I  will  take 
a  bit  of  a  rest.    The  main  thing  is — have  courage, 

Fedya. 
And  there  can  be  no  other  solution? 

Petrushin. 
(Going  away.)      None  whatever. 


THE   LIVING   CORPSE.  125 

SCENE   IX. 
The  same,  without  Petrushin:  a  court  attendant  enters. 

Attendant. 
Move  along!     Move  along!     Don't  stand  in  the  corridor! 

Fedya. 

Just  a  minute.  (Takes  the  pistol  out  of  his  pocket  and  shoots 
himself  straight  in  the  heart.  He  falls.  All  rush  towards 
him.)     Never  mind.    I  think  it's  all  right.     Liza! 


SCENE    X. 


From  all  sides  spectators  rush  in,  also  judges,  defendants  and 
witnesses.  First  of  all  comes  Liza.  Behind  her  are  Masha, 
Karenin,  Ivan  Petrovich  and  Prince  Abrezkov. 

Liza. 
What  have  you  done!    Fedya!     Why ! 

Fedya. 

Forgive  me  for  not  having  been  able— to  liberate  you  other- 
wise      It's  not  for  your  sake — it's  much  better  for  me.     I've 

been  ready  for  it — for  a  long  time. 

Liza. 
You  will  live.     {The  doctor  bends  over  him,  listening.) 

Fedya. 

I  know  without  the  doctor Victor,  good-by.     And  Masha 

—came   too   late— (weeping.)     How   well   I    feel,   how   well 

{Expires.) 

(Curtain.) 


LIST  IN  BELLES-LETTRES 

Published  by  BROWN  BROTHERS 
PINE  STREET  AT  FIFTH,  PHILADELPHIA 

THE  AWAKENING  OF  SPRING.  By  Frank  Wedekind. 
A  tragedy  of  childhood,  dealing  with  the  sex  question  in 
its  relationship  to  the  education  of  children.  A  new  edition 
just  out.  Cloth,  gilt  top,  deckle  edge,  $1.25  net.  By  mail, 
$1.35.  "Here  is  a  play  which  on  its  production  caused  a 
sensation  in  Germany,  and  can  without  exaggeration  be 
described  as  remarkable.  These  studies  of  adolescence 
are  as  impressive  as  they  are  unique."— T he  Athenceurn,  London. 

THE  CREDITOR.  By  August  Strindberg.  Translated  from 
the  Swedish  by  Francis  J.  Ziegler.  A  psychological  study 
of  the  divorce  questJbn  by  the  greatest  living  Scandinavian 
dramatist.  Cloth,  $1.00  net;  postage,  8  cents.  "Fordringsagare" 
was  produced  for  the  first  time  in  1889,  when  it  was  given 
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ance of  which  was  forbidden  by  the  censor.  Four  years  later 
Berlin  audiences  made  its  acquaintance,  since  when  it  has 
remained  the  most  popular  of  Strindberg's  plays  in  Germany. 

A  DILEMMA.  By  Leonidas  Andreiyeff.  Translated  from  the 
Russian  by  John  Cournos.  Cloth,  75  cents  net ;  postage,  7 
cents.  A  remarkable  analysis  of  mental  subtleties  as  experi- 
enced by  a  man  who  is  uncertain  as  to  whether  or  not  he  is 
insane.  A  story  that  it  Poe-like  in  its  intensity  and  full  of 
grim  humor.  "One  of  the  most  interesting  literary  studies  of 
crime  since  Dostoiefifsky's  Crime  and  Punishment." — Chicago 
Evening  Post. 

DISCORDS.  A  volume  of  poems  by  Donald  Evans.  With  the 
publication  of  this  volume  must  end  the  oft-repeated  complaint 
that  real  English  poetry  is  no  longer  being  written.  These 
poems  have  no  sermon  to  preach,  no  evils  to  arraign,  no  new 


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